Perfection is in the Eye of the Heir of the West
by lunamist
Summary: Inu no Taisho isn't really sure what his son's problem is, after all, the Lord of the West hadn't been nearly so picky choosing his own mate. Beautiful, powerful, well bred . . . none of it seems to make a difference to the Heir of the West, Sesshomaru. Perhaps then, what his son needs is a perfectly imperfect being - a mate created just for Sesshomaru. Sessh/Inu. Eventual m-preg.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, another Sesshy-Inu story – Yeah! For those of you who've read stories by me before, this one will be similar in that it is already written, very long (at least I think it's long) and should (barring any major catastrophe) be updated on a weekly basis. Just as an FYI, as of first editing, this is 30 plus chapters – most of which are much longer than this one._

 _Also as an FYI, I'm posting another story (also completed). Both of them are m-preg, but very different in nature. A year or so ago, I got the idea for these two stories and couldn't decide which to write, thus, I did them both. And . . . since I don't like to start posting things until they are done . . . well, it took a bit of time to get them both written and ready to post. Again, if you've read my stories in the past, you all know I like the "happy ending" and this one will be no different. Of course there's gonna be angst and as usual, I put poor Inuyasha through the ringer, but in the end, he gets all the happiness he deserves._

 _Just so you know, this is an alternate universe kind of thing. Still set in the time of the Inuyasha story, but different. Kagome, Shippo, and Myoga aren't really in this one. I don't write Kagome at all, so she never really shows up in my stories except sometimes as a mention in passing, but in this story, not even that happens._

 _Oh, and I did mention . . . this is m-preg (eventually). If you don't like that kind of thing, I more than understand, so you have been properly warned. Also, as a second warning, this is yaoi (I'd hope you'd of figured that out with the whole m-preg thing, but one never knows :-)_

 _So, with all that said, on with the first chapter!_

Sesshomaru stared out into the vacant sea of bodies, completely bored out of his mind. Every fifty years, a Gathering for unmated youkai was held, and every fifty years, the InuYoukai prince was underwhelmed with his choices. No, underwhelmed would be too gracious a term. In point of fact, the available submissives he had to choose from appalled Sesshomaru. On the surface, many were beautiful beyond words, but should one look just the slightest bit further, they were sure to see that such facades were barely skin deep. Each and every submissive he'd encountered held innumerable flaws. Golden gaze flicking disinterestedly around the grassy field, Sesshomaru mentally catalogued the buffet of youkai spread before him, and as with most food left out in the sun too long, all were spoiled or rotten to the very core.

With his duties as representative of his father complete, the Prince of the West turned to leave, his white silken robes flowing behind him as his silvery white locks of hair swished enticingly upon a nonexistent breeze. With his back now to the ridiculous creatures littering the large field, Sesshomaru's cold voice whispered, "Come Jaken."

Nearly tripping over his small legs, Sesshomaru's toad like retainer's eyes bulged. "B-but, my p-prince . . . your father – "

"This Sesshomaru is leaving. You may come or go as you wish."

Staring wide-eyed at the graceful figure his prince struck, Jaken's beak opened and closed as his mind whirled. Lord Inu no Taisho would not be pleased to hear that his son was leaving yet another Gathering, once again unmated. Shifting his balance from foot to foot, the little kappa ground his beak in worry. Completely unsure what to do, Jaken opened his mouth to say something only to squeak in horror at the realization that his prince had already passed through a nearby line of trees. "Lord Sesshomaru!" Jumping into action, Jaken's small legs moved as quickly as possible, knowing that the InuYoukai prince would undoubtedly do just as he'd said and leave without him. And, although Jaken didn't like the repercussions that were sure to follow once Inu no Taisho learned of his son's actions, the small kappa could readily understand Sesshomaru's desire to leave this place and as such, Jaken knew, without a doubt, that he did not wish to be left behind within this vipers nest of deceitful youkai.

Had either Sesshomaru or Jaken looked behind them as they left, they would have seen the disappointed, yet calculating eyes of those eager to tie themselves to the most desired of the four lands – the West. Another mating ceremony come and gone and yet another opportunity missed. Many were beginning to believe the Heir to the Western Lands would never choose a mate and yet none could understand why, when presented with so many delectable choices, that the prince snubbed each and every youkai he was presented with. Unable to see their own fallacies, almost every powerful house within youkai society had long ago deemed it a failure on Sesshomaru's part, not that of their own offspring's intentions or inadequacies. Still, such notions did little to stop their hopes and dreams of one day digging their claws into the wealth and power that was the Western Lands.

::::::::::

Shoulder's stiff, Lord Inu no Taisho knelt behind his desk; body still and golden eyes narrowed on his son and heir. Only the two twitching furs draped over his shoulders indicated any of his irritation. Reaching a clawed hand forward, the InuDaiYoukai lord lifted a cup of sake from his desk, downing the contents in a single swallow. Only with the delectable burn of alcohol easing its way down his throat did the Lord of the West finally find the will to speak. "Did I not make myself clear on this matter, Sesshomaru?"

Regal as ever, Sesshomaru knelt in a similar fashion atop a tatami mat, his icy, bored exterior forever in place as he answered, "You did, father."

Annoyed that his son had inherited his mother's frosty demeanor, Inu no Taisho felt his eyebrow twitch. "And yet, here you are – returned with no prospective mate to speak of."

"Had one proven worthy, this Sesshomaru would not hesitate to obey your wishes."

Pride for his son's high standards warred heavily with Inu no Taisho's knowledge that Sesshomaru was past the age where he should have taken a mate. For far too long, the halls of the Western Palace had been without the pitter-patter of tiny feet. Sighing heavily, the Great Dog General leaned back, his heavy furs cushioning his body. "What am I to do with you, Sesshomaru?"

Feeling as if the question did not garner a response, Sesshomaru simply sat, eyes cold and flat.

With a shake of his head, Inu no Taisho felt the tendrils of his silvery hair drift over a shoulder, his eyes fixed upon a portrait of his own mate, the Lady Shayou, her frozen golden orbs captured to perfection by the artist. "I know well the responsibilities of being Heir to the Western Lands, my son. The challenges of such a position are great and you have met or exceeded my expectations at every turn. By all the gods, you excel at any and everything you touch, and yet . . . " Turning his attention fully upon his son, the Lord of the West steeled his expression. "Do you not understand the necessity of taking a mate and producing an heir? Do you not realize the level of stability such an action lends to these lands?"

Blinking once, Sesshomaru held his father's gaze, an ability held by precious few. "Am I to understand that you wish this Sesshomaru to breed with an inferior youkai? That you wish heirs even if they prove weak and inadequate?"

Clenching his fist, Inu no Taisho felt the pressure of his claws imprint deeply within the palm of his hand. "You mean to sit there and tell me there is not a single youkai of breeding age within the entirety of the world that you would consider worthy enough?"

"No."

The answer was short, decisive, and without hesitation. Blinking once, the Lord of the West took a moment to collect his thoughts. Had he been so picky when choosing Sesshomaru's mother, his own mate, Shayou? No, he had not, but then again, Inu no Taisho had not seen his mate in well over six months. Coming from a prominent line of Shiro Inu, Shayou had been an easy choice. Beautiful, intelligent, powerful and colder than the frozen North Sea, Sesshomaru's mother had done her duty and produced a pup to be proud of, a youkai that Inu no Taisho could feel confident leaving the Western Lands to. And yet, had that really been enough?

Shrugging his shoulders, Inu no Taisho thought that for him, it had been. And in that singular moment, the Lord of the West came to a stunning realization – for all the frosty lack of emotion Sesshomaru conveyed; his son needed something more. For Sesshomaru, having a mate simply for breeding wasn't enough. For all his scary as fuck power, Sesshomaru wasn't perfect, nor was he fulfilled. His son was looking for something - something more than the Lord of the West had ever sought. There was something his son actually needed, and given how achingly perfect Sesshomaru was, that something would not be easy to find - perhaps even impossible.

Looking at that stony, apathetic face, Inu no Taisho wondered (not for the first time) what his son was thinking. It seemed as if perfecting that look was the first thing Sesshomaru had set his mind to mastering and as such, it had been centuries since the Lord of the West thought he understood the full machinations behind his son's thoughts and actions. Still, the Lord of the West had to wonder if Sesshomaru realized the real reason he was having difficulty finding a mate. Was his son cognizant of the fact that he was well and truly searching for that singular thing that would make him whole – that one piece of the puzzle that would truly perfect his seemingly god-like offspring?

In the end, Inu no Taisho thought it improbable that Sesshomaru knew the real reason behind his difficulties. Or, if he did, the Lord of the West doubted his son would acknowledge such a thing, for doing so would imply that Sesshomaru was in need of something, and the Heir of the Western Lands _needed_ nothing.

With a small smirk spreading across his lips, Inu no Taisho refilled his cup of sake, this time savoring the burn of the precious liquid as it slid down his throat. "It appears as if I must wait another fifty years to meet your mate, my son."

"Optimism does not appear to be a trait I inherited, father."

Feeling the rumble of laughter start deep within his gut, Inu no Taisho didn't fight the emotion as the booming sound of his mirth filled the room, a small upturn of lips the only show of emotion spreading across his son's face. "Indeed, it does not. Lucky for us both that I seem to have been blessed with an abundance it." Shaking his head as his laughter died down, the Lord of the West was left with a faint smile of his own. "Regardless, it is pointless to discuss this further. You have seen and rejected the available fair for this season and I will not command you to take a mate you do not deem worthy."

"That is fortunate, for both of us."

With his sake cup half raised to his lips, Inu no Taisho's eyelids lowered ever so slightly at the subtle challenge his son had just issued. Although it took no longer than the time of a single breath, the Lord of the West weighed the merits of choosing to allow Sesshomaru his slight, or teach his wayward pup that he, Inu no Taisho, was still the Lord of these sacred lands. Raising the cup to the edges of his lips, the InuDaiYoukai made his decision as he simply stated, "Indeed. You may go."

The slightly deeper bow of deference Sesshomaru made was the only indication he gave acknowledging his father's leniency. And, with a soft, "As you wish," parting from his lips, the Heir of the Western Lands rose with fluid grace, his own mokomoko swaying gently behind his regal form.

With his son finally gone from his presence, Inu no Taisho allowed a deep sigh to pass from his lips, his body hunched over with the weight of his position and age – both of which seemed to have gained traction over these past few years. Allowing only a moment's indulgence to his growing fatigue, the Lord of the West straightened before calling, "Jaken."

Within seconds, the small kappa knelt before Inu no Taisho, his beak firmly pressed to the wooden slatted floor below – the small quaking of both his limbs and voice betraying the little imp's fears that his master would take out his displeasure at the Heir of the West on him. "My l-lord?"

Ignoring the thick scent of fear radiating from his retainer, Inu no Taisho stood, his eyes trained upon the portrait of his mate. "It seems as if my son has failed yet again to take a mate, but perhaps the failure is not his but mine."

Now confused more than afraid, Jaken dared raise his bulbous eyes from the wood grain he'd just been memorizing. "My lord? I do not understand, how – "

"It is obvious the pool of available breeding youkai is lacking in . . . something. Tell me, Jaken, what were his choices like?"

Still horribly confused, Jaken raised his shoulders, still kneeling but placing more of his weight upon his hands. "T-they were the finest Lords and Ladies to be found anywhere in the four great Lands . . . youkai from impeccable houses and breeding."

Turning, the Lord of the West's golden eyes glinted in the afternoon sun, the burning power fueling that gaze silencing the miniscule kappa kneeling upon the floor. "Perhaps then, that is the problem."

Opening his pointed beak, Jaken started to question what Lord Inu no Taisho could possibly mean, but seeing those power-laced golden iris's silenced the breath upon his tongue. Redoubling his efforts, the little imp soon found the point of his beak pressing into the floor once more, waiting prostrate for his Lord to dismiss him.

Lost in thought as he was, it was several hours later when Inu no Taisho finally remembered Jaken was still within the room, bent over with his face pressed into the wooden slats of his office. As night had fallen, the Lord of the West drew himself up and began making his way towards the sliding doors separating him from his sleeping chambers. Only when his hand reached toward the door did he finally take pity upon his retainer. "Jaken, you are dismissed."

Breathing out a deep sigh of exhaustion, Jaken's body fell to the hard floor below, his soft snores filling the cool night air as he slept where he'd spent the better part of the day.

::::::::::

 _Thirteen years later . . ._

Briefly pausing to readjust the young, bleeding InuHanyou draped across his back, Kouga took a moment to listen for the fluttering heartbeat indicating his burden was still in the land of the living. Satisfied that the hanyou's condition hadn't deteriorated too badly, the Heir of the Northern Wolf Tribe shifted the unconscious boy's weight before grunting, "Who'd of thought a runt like you could weigh so damn much."

Ignoring the stench of blood, along with the ever-growing scent of the poison ravaging the hanyou's body, Kouga marched forwards. "When this is over it's gonna take a week to get this shit outta my furs." With one clawed foot in front of the other, the wolf youkai kept to his journey, praying to whatever gods were listening that the human village he was heading to would at least patch the boy up before ordering the half-breed to leave.

Thinking of why he was traveling so far furrowed the young wolf's brow in anger. Kouga had always respected his alpha and father, so the feeling of shame burning in his gut at his own father's words and actions were currently burning like their own form of poison.

Until earlier today, Kouga hadn't really given much thought to half-breeds beyond his knowledge that they were weak, inferior beings. True, he'd never met one before, but if his elders said so, then it must be fact and as such, he'd never once thought to question it. But now . . . hearing a soft grunt carried on fevered breath, Kouga stopped, his nose scenting the air for a nearby stream but all his nose could scent was blood and poison. Bending low, the wolf youkai eased his burden upon the grass while reaching for the container of water at his side. With one hand, Kouga lifted the bloodied head of the hanyou while holding the container of water to the half-breed's cracked lips. "Come on now, just a little sip."

But the hanyou's fever wouldn't allow such conscious effort and instead of going down his throat, the water made pink rivulets down bruised skin. Recapping the bottle, Kouga's eyes narrowed. "Don't you fuckin' die on me runt," in response, the half-breed's head lolled dangerously to the side causing the wolf to let off a fresh wave of curses. "God's damned stuck up pricks! If they'd of just listened to reason . . . " Trailing off, Kouga's lips pursed into an angered line. Never in his life had he felt this level of shame towards his very own pack.

Steeling himself, Kouga bent over and hefted the hanyou back over his shoulder, his pace quickening as his mind seethed. Half-breed or no, the boy bleeding on his furs had risked his life to protect a couple of wayward wolf cubs. Damn hanyou had even gone and gotten his ass poisoned when they'd thought the fucking snake youkai was dead – throwing his body in front of a viperous fang so one of the cubs didn't get hit instead. At that moment, Kouga could of cared less if this boy was human or youkai, all he knew was that he'd saved their cubs – Northern Wolf Pack cubs - cubs that had absolutely no relation to the hanyou. Why anybody would do that, Kouga didn't have a fucking clue, but he was damn happy he had because the wolf prince knew, without a doubt, that none of his own tribe could have reached the cubs in time to have done anything but dig their corpses outta that snake's belly.

And what had been the hanyou's reward? Grunting out loud, Kouga sneered, "A big fat screw you". Bleeding out and poisoned, the half-breed laid on the ground in agony and Kouga's father, his alpha, had simply stood over the boy and said, "Leave the mongrel, he is of no concern to us".

 _No concern?_ Kouga didn't bloody well think so and had argued vehemently with his alpha. To the wolf prince, it was a matter of honor, if nothing else, but his father had stood steadfastly to his opinion and denied the hanyou any aid. Finally, after what Kouga considered to be far too long, he'd convinced his father to at least let him take the half-breed to a human village to see if they would take him in and offer healing aid. Although not pleased, his alpha had finally relented but refused to offer his son any aid. If Kouga wanted to do such a foolish thing, then it would be his burden to bear – alone.

It was only after his father and the rest of the party who'd been searching for the cubs left that Kouga began to fully appreciate what he'd just done as well as wondering just where in the hell he was gonna take the mutt. God's above, he'd be lucky to even live long enough upon entering a human village to tell them the plight of the hanyou. Besides, it wasn't like humans really liked half-breeds any more than youkai did. As a matter of fact, they probably hated them more, mostly because they feared them more.

By then, the mutt had been unconscious so Kouga hadn't even been able to ask him if he actually had a home. Somehow, he doubted it. Looking past the hanyou's wounds, it was easy to see that he was small in the malnourished kind of way. Either the pup was homeless or his home was a shit hole.

Shifting the deadweight of the body he carried, Kouga knew his task would have been a lot harder had the half-breed been filled out like he should have been. With a glance to the sky, the wolf prince knew he was getting close to his destination and began praying anew that the miko guarding the village still lived there. Kouga had heard tales that the Lady Kikyo was a very powerful miko, but unusually tolerant of youkai. From what he understood, she wasn't one of those, _shoot first and ask questions later,_ kind of gals and that was what he really needed right about now.

With the end of his journey in sight, Kouga's feet pounded along the forest floor, eager to get his burden to what he hoped would be a safe haven. Noting the quickened pace of the hanyou's heartbeat, along with the increasingly rapid, yet shallow breathing, he doubted the mutt would be able to make it to another village in time.

Unable to smell anything but InuHanyou blood riddled with poison, Kouga didn't even notice the spiritual arrow pointed at his heart until a voice called out, "Hold and state ye business, Wolf."

Skidding to a stop, Kouga's head snapped up, his blue eyes narrowed upon what he thought to be a young woman dressed as a miko, her bow pulled back as her singular eye concentrated on nothing but his hammering heart. Well, at least she was actually asking questions first.

Swallowing once to catch his breath, Kouga asked, "You Lady Kikyo?"

Had he not been studying the miko so carefully, the wolf thought he would have missed the slight flinch in her one eye. "Lady Kikyo was killed by a spider youkai over seven years ago. I be her sister, Kaede."

 _Well shit,_ Kouga mentally cursed. Having your sibling slaughtered by a youkai didn't tend to instill feelings of good will towards his kind. Having no idea how to answer, Kouga shifted his weight, feeling the heated cheek of the hanyou on his back as he stated, "Uh . . . sorry to hear that."

Nodding once, Kaede had yet to lower her weapon. "I do not recall my sister ever speaking of wolves she knew, so I ask ye again, what business have ye with our village?"

Thinking he was fortunate that the miko still hadn't fired yet, Kouga tilted his head to the side and over his back, indicating the figure draped there. "I got an injured half-breed that needs a healer."

Kouga watched Kaede's eyebrow lift slightly. "And what care do ye have for such a creature?"

Steeling himself against the shame still burning a hole through his heart, Kouga answered, "Half-breed or not, the runt saved a couple of our wolf cubs and got his ass handed to him in the process."

"Sounds like wolf youkai business to me."

 _Yeah, it does to me too_ , Kouga thought. It was one thing to bear the shame of his pack's actions himself, it was another to tell a human priestess about it. Gritting his teeth, the wolf prince shook his head. "Look lady, it's either you or the grave. Just tell me now so I know if I need to start diggin' a hole."

Finally lowering her bow, Kaede's deep brown eye softened, even the black eye-patch covering her right eye seemed to ease as she motioned the wolf forwards. "Ye can bring him to my hut. I will see what can be done."

With a relieved nod of his head, Kouga began gently padding after the woman before him, ever grateful that when he met his end, he would not carry the burden of his father's dishonor with him. Whether the hanyou lived or died, he had done what he could to repay the debt his tribe owed to the half-breed who'd saved not one, but two of their cubs. Why the hanyou had done such a thing, Kouga still hadn't a clue. Hopefully one day, he'd be able to ask. Somehow, the wolf prince thought that wouldn't be the only question he'd be asking the half-breed. To be certain, his father wouldn't like it, but if the mutt lived, Kouga planned on spending a fair amount of time finding out more. Few things had ever caught his interest as much as this, because if the elders had gotten it this wrong about hanyou, then it stood to reason they were wrong about other shit as well and if Kouga was going to the be kind of kick-ass alpha he planned on, then evidently he needed to start learning how to think for himself.

Satisfied with this new train of thought, the wolf once more stated, "You better fuckin' live," over his shoulder before turning his attention once more to the miko confidently striding before him. Ever curious and wholly without tact, Kouga blurted, "So, what the fuck happened to your eye?"

 _First chapter down and many to come. Credit goes to Araiht for Sesshomaru's mother's name, Shayou. Araiht offered up the name a couple of years ago when I was posting the Bakusen'O story and I liked it very much. To me, that will be Sesshomaru's mother's name whenever I write about her. I hope you're still out there reading, Araiht._

 _I hope you can all come along for another long fan-fic ride. As always, reviews are both welcome and appreciated. I enjoy hearing what people think. I will try very hard to update this story on Sunday evenings. I also hope to post the first chapter for the second story I've written tomorrow night. No promises on that one, but I'm pretty sure that will happen._

 _Until Sunday . . . lunamist_


	2. Chapter 2

_Good evening again everyone. Special thanks to all those whom reviewed last week. Most of you seem interested in just who Inuyasha's dad is. I thought about dropping a hint or two, but decided against it :-) Eventually you'll find out and when you do I'll have given enough hints through the story that it probably won't be much of a surprise._

 _So, this is chapter two. We finally get the story rolling in the present time. This chapter is longer than the first and most will probably be similar to this one. I kind of cut chapters where they seem to make the most sense to do so and consequently they vary in length._

 _Forgot to say it in the opening chapter, but obviously I don't own Inuyasha nor do I make any money off of this puppy._

 _Okay, I think that's about it. On with Chapter 2 . . ._

 _Thirty-seven years after Kouga met Inuyasha and fifty years after the last youkai Gathering . . ._

"Figured I'd find ya here, mutt."

Arms folded across his chest, hands stuffed within the sleeves of his firerat, Inuyasha's amber eyes glinted through the silvery-white haze of his bangs. "That hardly makes you a fuckin' genius, dog-breath."

With a swish of his tail, Kouga dropped to the grass covered earth, leaning his back against the ancient well his InuHanyou friend had taken a liking to. "Everybody knows I'm brilliant, I don't gotta prove it with stupid shit like this." Only managing to stir a half-hearted growl in response, the wolf prince's eyebrows furrowed. "So what happened this time?"

Pulling back, Inuyasha's body tensed in defense. "What makes you think anything happened? Can't I just wanna get away from all that human stench for awhile?"

"Of course you can, but you and I both know you don't really mind all that _human stench_. Besides, you only come here anymore when somethin's crawled under your skin and died."

"-Keh." Running a finger roughly under his nose, Inuyasha turned his head away, unwilling to let the wolf beside him see even an ounce of his pain. "It ain't nothin' new. Don't really see the use in talkin' about it."

Reaching a hand back, Kouga's claws dug deep into a rather irritating spot right above the base of his tail, his blue eyes clouded in bliss as the itch subsided. "This got anything to do with that banshee screamin' at Kaede?"

Ears flattening within his hair, Inuyasha's skin blanched. "You mean she was still gripin' when you were in the village?"

"Fuck yeah, thought my ears were gonna start bleedin' from that noise."

Lowering his head, the hanyou felt shame wash through his chest. Lady Kaede had been nothing but nice to him and yet all he seemed to be able to do was screw shit up and cause her trouble. He'd lived in and around this village for over thirty years and still, there were humans who detested his half-breed ass. It didn't matter how many threatening youkai he killed, how much firewood he chopped and carried, or how much meat he brought back for them to store and eat – all some of them saw was a monster. Hanyou belonged nowhere and to no one.

Still leaning back against the stony edge of the well, Kouga's eyes drifted to the side, taking in the slumped posture of a being he more than considered a friend. "So, you gonna just sit here and sulk, or what?"

"-Keh, what's it to ya anyways?" Lifting his head, Inuyasha's face was completely devoid of emotion as he asked, "Does your alpha know where you are? He's gonna shit a brick when you come home smellin' like half-breed again."

True to his thoughts, the InuHanyou he hauled to Kaede's village all those years ago had fascinated Kouga. And, despite his father's constant orders and wishes, the wolf prince had continued making the trek to this very same village time and time again in order to spend time with Inuyasha. Unfortunately, time hadn't really dulled the elder Northern Wolf Tribe's opinions on hanyou in general and he'd long ago given up trying to convince them to allow the InuHanyou honorary membership to their tribe. Of course, Kouga planned on changing all that when he became alpha. He just had to keep the mutt alive long enough for that day to come.

Thinking how pissed his father and those irritating council members were gonna be brought a smirk to Kouga's face as he boasted, "I can handle those old farts."

Smiling in return, Inuyasha shook his head. "Sometimes I think that's the only reason you keep draggin' your smelly ass over here, just to irritate the shit outta your dad."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Kouga didn't deny the accusation. "Probably."

Grunting, the hanyou looked to the grassy ground, digging his clawed toes into the moist earth. Inside, Inuyasha knew that wasn't really true. He and the wolf liked to tease and taunt each other, but if there was any creature living upon the planet the hanyou could count as a friend, well, it was probably the smelly wolf sitting beside him. Why, Inuyasha wasn't really certain. Sure, he'd saved a couple of wolf cubs a long time ago, but in his mind, Kouga had more than repaid him for that. The wolf prince didn't owe him a damned thing, and yet he kept popping up like an irritating flea that just wouldn't die.

Sitting in silence, Inuyasha felt the weight of the world become a little bit lighter and hated the fact that it was because of someone else that he felt that way. Experience had more than taught him that associations with youkai or humans were, at best, fleeting. One day, Kouga would be gone from his world. Frowning, Inuyasha's thoughts came back to Kaede. Although she'd been young to middle aged when he'd first been brought to her, the miko was now ancient by human standards. And she, more than the mangy wolf beside him, was Inuyasha's compass. Kaede had taken his wild and wounded body and at least started to heal him, both body and soul. But the InuHanyou knew that healing was far from complete and the thought of losing her was an almost all consuming fear clenching his gut. And, like all fears, it was one he'd never admit to.

Tilting his head back, Inuyasha stared up into the cloudless sky, a barely audible sigh easing past his lips. "So, that bitch was really still yellin' at Kaede?"

"Yeah, and we've talked about usin' that term like that before, mutt. When you become a member of my pack, our females are gonna rip a hole in ya for bein' disrespectful."

Inuyasha had stopped arguing with Kouga a long time ago about this whole, _joinin' the Northern Wolf Tribe_ , thing. If the mangy wolf wanted to keep deluding himself, who was Inuyasha to interfere? So, instead of arguing, the hanyou answered, "Okay, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, she was still screamin' her bloody head off." Turning his head to look at his friend more closely, Kouga asked, "So, you ready to tell me what made that human woman loose her gods be damned sanity?"

"-Keh, it was just a misunderstandin'," Inuyasha muttered. "The short of it is that while I was out huntin', I saw a couple of the village's kids doin' some stupid shit around one of the streams. We've had a lot of rain recently and the water was high and goin' fast so I yelled at 'em to stop bein' such dumb ass's and get away from the water." Curling back his lips, small white fangs peaked through Inuyasha's lips. "Stupid little shits lost their balance and one of 'em fell in. Course the current was too damn strong for his weak human body and he started goin' under."

Smirking, Kouga asked, "Let me guess, you jumped in after him?"

"Yeah, shoulda let the brat drown for all the good it did me. When I dragged his sopping body back to the village, he and his little friend told everyone it was my fault. Of course they knew they weren't supposed to be that far from the village, or that close to the river so it was easier to make up some bullshit story about the half-breed lurin' them out and nearly gettin' one of 'em drowned than it was to fess up to their own stupidity."

With a nod, Kouga felt his anger flare and yet it was more than a little hypocritical of him to be angered by the humans' reactions when his own tribe seemed just as foolish. "Guess their parents believed them, not you."

Shrugging once, Inuyasha wiggled his toes further into the ground. "I didn't even bother explainin'. Didn't really see the point in wastin' my breath, you know."

Sadly, Kouga did know. Time and time again, his hanyou friend had done the right thing – risked his own life for a complete stranger and in almost ever instance, his effort was rewarded with more bigotry and hate. Perhaps that, more than anything, was why he continued coming to visit Inuyasha – why he valued the hanyou's opinion and friendship.

Knowing Inuyasha didn't want his sympathy, and having no idea what to really say anyways, Kouga simply answered with a, "Humans are idiots," earning a small grunt of agreement for his half-ass efforts. How the world could not see the uncompromising nobility of the being he now sat beside was beyond the wolf prince. And yet, the world seemed blinded by the simple fact that Inuyasha walked the fine line of two worlds: a foot in each and yet welcome in neither. But the fact that most youkai didn't want to claim the hanyou didn't mean Inuyasha didn't belong in their world.

Glancing over at his friend, Kouga scratched behind his ear while his thoughts lingered on just how stupid the Northern Wolf Tribe was. As soon as the mutt had hit his maturity, it was obvious that the hanyou was a submissive, male breeder. Although those weren't rare, that didn't mean they were common either. And, given the amazing levels of youkai Inuyasha had, even as a half-breed, Kouga was pretty sure the hanyou's pups would be powerful, especially if his friend was mated to the right dominant male. His tribe was missing out on a damn good opportunity and all because they were a bunch of idiots who couldn't see past their own bigotry. Mumbling a quiet, "Stupid fucks," under his breath, Kouga hadn't even realized he'd spoken out loud until he heard Inuyasha answer, "I heard ya the first time."

Blinking, it took Kouga a minute to figure out the hanyou thought he'd still been speaking about the humans in the village instead of his own tribe. Instead of enlightening his friend, the wolf prince grunted, "It was worth repeatin'," before standing up and stretching his long, deceptively powerful legs. "God's above, I don't know how you can stay sittin' in one place for so damned long."

Knowing he'd spent much of his life running from something or other, sitting still for any length of time was actually something Inuyasha savored. "Well, it beats whatever your scatterbrained head tells you to do all the time."

Smirking, Inuyasha watched as Kouga continued bouncing on the balls of his feet, the wolf constantly in movement as his blue eyes scanned the horizon. While it was true the wolf prince was a walking ball of energy, Inuyasha could tell his friend was a little antsier than usual which normally translated to Kouga needing to speak with him about something or other. Normally that _something or other_ had to do with the female, Ayame, he was always spouting off about. It seemed to Inuyasha that as soon as Kouga's eyes had landed on the little wolf bitch, his heart was stolen away. And, even though it sometimes sounded as if Ayame were playing hard to get, the hanyou got the impression the feeling was thankfully mutual.

Thinking Kouga's visit probably had something to do with the wolf's intended mate, Inuyasha asked, "So what the fuck you really doin' in the village this time?"

Cocking his head to the side, Kouga's movements stopped as he took in his friend as Inuyasha continued sitting beside that old and dusty well. Sometimes, the mutt was too damn observant or maybe the wolf prince was too predictable. Somehow, the latter didn't sit well with Kouga. "Do I gotta have a reason to seek you out, muttface?"

"-Keh. No. Lots of times you just come lookin' to get your ass beat," Inuyasha answered with a grin. Somehow, he didn't really like the ear splitting smile that lit up his friend's face. "Dogbreath?"

Ignoring the obvious bait, Kouga knew what he was about to say would piss Inuyasha off in ways a well-aimed kick couldn't. "Actually . . . I came to ask if you wanted to tag along with me and some of the other wolves when we go to the Gathering next week."

Hands balling into fists, Inuyasha felt his claws dig into his palms. "As if I'd go to somethin' as stupid as that, asshole."

With his tail swishing wildly, Kouga felt giddy knowing just how much the mutt hated this topic. "I don't see as you've got much of a choice this time. Seems the higher ups are real big on _every_ unmated youkai of age comin'. At least those lookin' for a mate."

Swiftly standing, Inuyasha stuffed his hands into the wide sleeves of his firerat as he huffed. "Yeah, well I don't exactly qualify as _youkai_. Trust me, Wolf, when they made that declaration, they sure as shit weren't talkin' about me."

Shaking his head, Kouga wasn't about to let it go at that. "Bullshit. I overheard my father speakin' to one of the council members last night. Both of 'em were complainin' about the fact they're includin' hanyou this time. I mean, hanyou have come before, but this is the first time they've actually been included on the missive demands. And that, my friend, means you too."

Growling low in his throat, going to some bullshit mating ritual wasn't even close to something the hanyou wanted to do. "Well, the damn Lords can go fuck themselves because I ain't goin' to some stupid, stuck-up youkai event." Turning to the side, Inuyasha hid his eyes as he added, "As if any pure ass youkai would even be interested in a half-breed."

Grin fading; Kouga rarely heard his friend speak about himself in such terms. Generally, Inuyasha mouthed off about how he was no less than the pure youkai around him.

To hear the mutt say such things didn't sit well with the wolf prince. Trying to dispel the odd atmosphere with his usual tactics, Kouga goaded Inuyasha. "What kind of nonsense are you spoutin' now, mutt?"

Kouga had expected Inuyasha to go back to his normal attitude, but that was far from the reaction he received. Instead of making some loud boast about his own prowess, the hanyou's lips thinned down into almost nothing as his ears flattened deep within silvery-white strands of hair. Silent, Inuyasha's amber eyes didn't glint with mischief, but instead burned with a pain Kouga had never thought he'd witness. Fleeting as it was, the wolf prince would never forget that deep well of sadness.

Turning his head towards the village, Inuyasha took in a deep and cleansing breath before finally answering, "Forget it, fleabag." Ears perked back up; the hanyou turned his glare upon the mangy wolf beside him. "And forget about me goin' to some dumbass youkai matin' thing."

Still slightly dumbstruck by what he'd just witnessed, it took Kouga a minute to realize the hanyou was walking away from him again. Gritting his teeth, the wolf prince hated how low he was about to stoop, but if it got the stubborn mutt to go . . . "You know Kaede ain't gonna be around much longer."

Instantaneously halting his stride, Inuyasha felt his chest constrict as a sudden wave of pain gripped his heart. "I know that, asshole! Why the fuck you gotta go bringin' that shit up?"

Scratching a spot behind his ear, Kouga's blue eyes looked off into the distance as a deep sigh slipped through his lips. "I'm bringin' that shit up because it's important. I'll bet the damn village won't even wait until her ashes are cool before they kick you outta there."

Amber eyes mere slits, Inuyasha tilted his head ever so slightly. "Still don't see the fuckin' point."

Finally pulling his attention back, Kouga closed the small distance between them. "What I'm tryin' to ask is what you plan on doin' after she's gone?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, the hanyou still couldn't see what the big deal was. "What I did before. I've lived alone a hell of a lot longer than I have in this damn village."

"Feh," Kouga grunted, "and we all saw how well you were doin' with that."

Swirling around, Inuyasha's clawed fingers dug deep into Kouga's furs. "I was doin' just fine, asshole!"

Refusing to rise to the bait, Kouga allowed his friend to fume. "Is that what you call bein' half starved and one paw short of bein' feral?"

Livid, Inuyasha's eyes fairly glinted with malice. "I survived! I was just a pup when I was left – "

"I know, Inuyasha." Letting his own blue eyes soften, Kouga's calm was a testament to just how much he'd grown up in the past few years. "You did good, damn good all by yourself for so long. But, you're part dog youkai and part human, neither of which are solitary creatures. Dogs are like wolves, they do best when livin' in a pack, same as humans. It ain't healthy, physically or mentally, for you to be out there all alone."

With a huff, Inuyasha released his hold on the wolf prince. "It is what it is. Ain't like I got a hell of a lot of choice." Glancing to the side, the hanyou added, "Don't know why you give much of a damn anyways."

Rolling his eyes, by now, Kouga understood that despite all of Inuyasha's claims to the contrary, in all actuality, the hanyou had trouble seeing his own self worth. Knowing how uncomfortable it would make both of them if the wolf prince started spouting off those kinds of thoughts, Kouga opted for levity. "Well, for some gods be damned reason, you amuse me."

With a faint smile, Inuyasha looked down at his dirty toes. "Well, that sure as shit ain't sayin' much for your sense of humor."

"For once, I agree with ya." Moving up to the hanyou's side, Kouga's voice was devoid of laughter as he softly went to the heart of why he'd bought this whole damn business up. "Kaede may be human, and a damn miko, but she ain't so bad." In truth, he had come to respect the old woman more than most of the members of his own tribal council. "She knows she ain't got much time left and she's worried about your sorry ass and what'll happen to ya once she's gone."

"-Keh, stupid old wench should be thinkin' about more important stuff than that."

Nodding, Kouga continued, "Yeah, but you and I both know humans are strange like that. Bein' a miko and all, Kaede never had any brats of her own." Glancing over at his friend, the wolf prince saw a rare softness to Inuyasha's face. "You know where I'm goin' with this shit so don't make me say all this sappy stuff, mutt."

Eyes distant once more, Inuyasha thought he did understand where the mangy wolf was headed. On more occasions than he cared to think of, Kaede had patched him up, both mentally and physically from whatever battle he'd had to fight. And, each and every time, the miko had been gentle, treating him as if he was her own child. Not since his human mother died had Inuyasha known such a gentle touch.

Getting no verbal response, Kouga shook his head, sending his long, dark brown ponytail swishing to the side. "Gods damn-it, mutt, Kaede's a fuckin' miko and she knows just as well as me that you're a submissive breeder." Ignoring the growl of warning, the wolf went on, "Stop grumblin', you know I don't mean that as any kind of an insult. All I'm sayin' is that you bein' mated properly would go a long way to makin' Lady Kaede's passage into the afterlife easier."

Growl ratcheting up full force, Inuyasha snarled, "I don't need some dominant male jackass tellin' me what – "

"Gods damn-it, mutt! That ain't what a good dominant will be like! I know you've never met her, but you've heard me talk about Ayame enough to have figured out that she'd sooner cut my balls off than do somethin' just because I said so. When we finally mate, I'll be the dominant, but she'll have the real control." Pointing a clawed finger at Inuyasha's chest, Kouga's fangs glinted, "And if you ever fuckin' repeat that, my balls won't be the only one on the choppin' block."

Grin splitting his face wide, Inuyasha let out a deep and hearty chuckle. "Damn, fleabag, you really got it bad."

Cheeks burning, Kouga backed off, his tail lightly swaying behind him as he thought of the wolf bitch he wanted to claim. "That's the way it should be. One day, hopefully soon, Ayame will be my mate." Goofy grin curling up his lips, Kouga thought of all Ayame's attributes and felt that same giddy feeling deep in his belly he'd experienced the very first time he'd seen her. "On a good day, Ayame could probably take me down." Looking over at his friend, Kouga made sure Inuyasha was paying attention. "When we are finally mated and Ayame submits to me, I know it will be because it's somethin' she wants to do. She's too strong to just let anyone dominate her, includin' me. Do you understand, Inuyasha? Do you get that bein' a submissive isn't about bein' weaker? In many ways, a good submissive mate is stronger than their dominant."

Inuyasha knew first hand just how cold and cruel pure youkai could be, including the wolf standing before him. And, to be sure, not all youkai saw their mates the way Kouga described, but he'd seen enough of them over the years to know that most held their mates in high esteem. Still, he was a half-breed and Inuyasha knew the rules of youkai society rarely, if ever applied to him.

Seeing the doubt swirling behind amber eyes, Kouga interjected before Inuyasha had a chance to respond. "Just go to the damn Gathering, mutt. At least see what's out there before signin' up for a lifetime of loneliness." Bumping his shoulder into the hanyou's, Kouga softly grinned, "I don't see how you've got much to lose and at the very least, it'll make Kaede happy."

With a shake of his head, the hanyou knew well what he had to loose, his pride. But the damn fleabag made a good point, going would ease Kaede's mind. Brain tumbling through a web of ideas, Inuyasha latched on to a single thought – although he seriously doubted he'd find a mate at this freakshow, Kaede wouldn't need to know that it was a failure. As old and frail as the miko had become, Inuyasha knew Kaede's days of traveling were done. What he also knew was that, besides Kouga, most pure youkai wouldn't step foot into a human village. Given that knowledge, Inuyasha knew it would be a fairly simple lie. No matter what happened, he'd tell Kaede he'd found a mate. Whatever it took, he would do what he could to ease the miko's concerns; it was the least Inuyasha could do.

Mind made up, the hanyou began walking towards the village that loathed him once more. "Come on fleabag. I gotta get back to the village and make sure that old wench has enough firewood and supplies before I gotta go to this Gathering thing."

Ignorant to his friend's inner thoughts, the wolf prince smugly smiled, thinking himself a genius of persuasion. Trotting up closer, Kouga threw an arm around his friend. "Glad to hear you finally came to your senses."

"Get your damn paws off me," Inuyasha grunted while shrugging out of the friendly gesture. "Your dad is gonna tan your hide when you come home covered in my scent." Shaking his head, Inuyasha continued to grumble, "Damn wolf, you got no sense of self-preservation."

Laughing from deep within his belly, Kouga knew the hanyou was right, but couldn't bring himself to care at that particular moment. Quickly darting off to the side, the wolf prince bounced on the balls of his feet. "In three days, meet me at the edge of the woods, by that stream the brat fell into."

"I don't need a damn escort."

With a shrug, Kouga answered, "Sure you don't, but I gotta make certain you don't chicken out."

Whirling, Inuyasha was pissed. "I told ya I was goin' and I ain't goin' back on my word."

Rolling his eyes at just how easily his friend got his feathers ruffled, Kouga simply turned and began running back towards his own lands. With a quick, "Tell the old miko I said bye," the wolf prince darted out of sight.

Watching Kouga blur away into nothing, Inuyasha finally let his emotions flood his face. Of course he knew time with Kaede was short and he'd hoped to spend what little they had left in peace, but now it seemed as if he would not be offered even that bit of kindness. He'd do as he said. Inuyasha would go to this Gathering farce, but he held little to no hope of actually finding a youkai who'd willingly mate him, let alone someone he'd find mate worthy. But for Kaede, he would go. He would go and then he would come back and lie his ass of to the human miko who meant the world to him. He would tell Kaede he'd found a mate, and in so doing, he knew he'd be expected to leave and go live with said mate, leaving the old miko and the village he'd come to loosely call home. He'd miss his last precious moments with his miko but in so doing, he'd give Kaede the most precious gift anyone could offer – the gift of peace of mind.

::::::::::

"You can not be serious, father."

Standing tall and proud before his son, Inu no Taisho thought perhaps he shouldn't be taking this much pleasure in Sesshomaru's irritation. Maybe if his icy heir deigned to show a little more emotion once in awhile, it wouldn't be such an event when his son did actually let a piece of his inner thoughts into the light of day. "I assure you, Sesshomaru, I am quite serious."

Face betraying none of his inner anger, Sesshomaru's golden gaze appeared dull and apathetic. "You desire to punish me in some way?"

Sighing deeply, the Lord of the West could only marvel at his son's black and white views of the world. "Sending Miroku with you to the Gathering is not punishment."

"Then what, exactly, would you call it?"

Raising a single silver eyebrow, Inu no Taisho smiled as he answered, "Assistance." However, it did not appear as if Sesshomaru found his reply nearly as humorous.

Pulling his lips back enough to show fang, the Heir of the Western Lands felt poison fill his sharp canines. "You mean to imply that this Sesshomaru requires _assistance_ from that lecherous monk? Do you desire the bearer of the next heir of these lands to be picked by such a youkai?"

Kneeling down behind his desk, Inu no Taisho poured himself a hearty dose of sake. Raising the cup to his lips, the InuDaiYoukai swallowed the whole of its contents while contemplating his son's question. "It is not that I believe you need Miroku's guidance, but neither of us can deny that he seems to have a singular objective, and that is the pursuit of the more sensual aspects of life." Growling low, the Lord of the West poured another drought of sake before adding, "If I did not know better, I'd swear Miroku was an incubus instead of a dimensional youkai."

Lowering his lips from the snarl they'd formed, Sesshomaru couldn't help but agree. Then again, Miroku was the only dimensional youkai to have ever been stabilized enough to live in any one dimension long enough for anyone to get to know. Perhaps it was a trait shared by all his kin. Most likely, Miroku didn't know either as the Heir of the Western Lands doubted the monk had ever met another of his own kind and if he had, their meeting would have been fleeting at best.

For reasons only the gods knew, Miroku had been found as a newly born babe by a human monk. No one knew why. Perhaps Miroku's mother had given birth there and been whisked off to anther dimension before she had time to reach for her babe. Perhaps it had been done on purpose. But whatever the reason, the event had been fortuitous for the young dimensional youkai.

Cursed long ago, dimensional youkai contained a portal, known as a Wind Tunnel, within one of their hands. Unable to control this portal, they were constantly pulled from one dimension to another, forever moved from place to place and never allowed a home. But Miroku's life was different and all thanks to the monks that found him before his Wind Tunnel had fully matured. Acting quickly, the monks placed enchanted beads and cloth over the portal – deactivating it. In the end, those human men had not only succeeded in saving the child's life from an eternity of wandering, but had also given Miroku a powerful weapon that he controlled instead of the cursed object controlling him.

Although in general, Sesshomaru found Miroku irritating and foul, he would give the youkai credit for his continued dedication to the order that gave him his life. Walking a fine line between youkai and human beliefs, if there was one thing Miroku held with any type of value, it was these monks and their descendants. Given that dimensional youkai appeared so human-like (save their pointed ears), it was no wonder many mistook Miroku for an actual human monk, especially considering the fool insisted on dressing like one. This obvious similarity was why Miroku was a youkai whom many referred to as, "Monk", or as Sesshomaru had heard on more than one occasion, "That lecherous monk."

Attention back on his father, Sesshomaru knew there would be no changing the InuDaiYoukai's mind on this matter but he still did not understand his father's reasoning. "I fail to see how the monk's single minded search for sexual pleasure has any bearing on my finding an appropriate mate."

Nodding once, Inu no Taisho gestured his son to sit, waiting patiently as Sesshomaru knelt upon the tatami matt before his desk. "That is because you have never paid attention to whom our dear friend seeks out for such purposes."

Head tilted ever so slightly, Sesshomaru's fine hair barely moved with the motion. "Explain."

"We both know the monk is a pathological flirt, but the number of partners he has actually taken to bed is comparatively small. And of those, none has ever betrayed his trust nor caused incident."

Hiding his incredulousness at what his father was implying, Sesshomaru simply answered, "You believe him to have good judgment in this area?"

Claws tapping along the worn wood of his desk, Inu no Taisho nodded. "I do. For all his casual dalliances, Miroku sees more than most. He has an uncanny knack for seeing into the heart of a soul."

"I believe you give far too much credit to that lecher."

Chest rumbling with laughter, the Lord of the West truly cherished these rare moments with his son – the moments when Sesshomaru's perfectly constructed outer wall cracked just a fraction. They were moments Inu no Taisho hoped would become more frequent when his son found the mate he was looking for. And in the fifty years that had passed since the last Gathering and Sesshomaru's failure to find any that suited him, the Great Dog General's belief that his son was searching (whether intentional or not) for qualities he himself lacked, had only grown. His son's strength and power were beyond undeniable. Sesshomaru was a perfect InuYoukai in almost every way and yet Inu no Taisho sensed a great emptiness. The Heir of the Western Lands went about his duties because they were just that, duties. Sesshomaru would protect and defend these lands because that was what was expected of him, not because he had a great and un-abiding affection for either the land or the beings that lived within its boarders. There was no emotional attachment, no dire need to keep something or someone safe, and that was weakness in its most insidious of forms. It was a weakness strong leaders could not afford.

Sesshomaru needed to find what he was missing, what would make him whole, and Inu no Taisho would do whatever was required to make that happen. And so, with a shrug of his mighty shoulders, the Lord of the West gave a small smile. "You have not seen Miroku as I have. When the situation calls for it, he can be a powerful companion." Seeing the doubt layered within his son's stoic eyes, Inu no Taisho asked, "Do you trust me, Sesshomaru?"

Golden eyes narrowing, Sesshomaru felt betrayed by the question for his father was the only creature upon this diseased planet that he did trust. "You know the answer to that."

"Indeed, but when you question my choices, you question me. Trust that I am doing what is best when I send Miroku with you. When he speaks, know that he does so with my blessing and that if it were me he was counseling, I would heed his advice. If you trust me, then so too should you trust those I find worthy of the same."

If there was one flaw Sesshomaru believed his father to have, it was that the powerful InuDaiYoukai put his faith in others far too easily. Inu no Taisho wanted to see the best in those around him while all Sesshomaru seemed to be able to see was their worst. Still, this did not mean the Heir of the Western Lands thought his father to be fooled easily. While it was true Inu no Taisho had been betrayed in the past, his father was quick to rectify those betrayals. The Lord of the West did not seek death, nor did he run from it. As an InuDaiYoukai, Inu no Taisho did what was necessary with little to no regret.

Despite his belief that his father's trust was too easily gained, Sesshomaru had not meant to insult Inu no Taisho with his questioning. "If that is your wish, then this Sesshomaru will do as asked."

Nodding once, the Lord of the West felt his shoulders relax. "I expect you shall be leaving within the next few days."

"Before you informed me of Miroku's attendance, I had planned on leaving tomorrow."

Never had Inu no Taisho felt the same type of wanderlust his son did. If Sesshomaru had had his way, he'd spend almost no time within the castle walls of the Western Palace, much as Sesshomaru's uncle, the now deceased Tsuyoshi had once done. Instead, the InuDaiYoukai had little doubt his son would spend most of his time simply wandering the lands he would one-day rule over. As such, Sesshomaru took every opportunity he could to do just that. Although Sesshomaru could simply orb to the Gathering within a matter of hours, Inu no Taisho was not surprised his son had planned on walking there instead.

Knowing an irritated Sesshomaru was even less likely to find a mate, Inu no Taisho had no desire to take this calming opportunity from his son. "You really dislike the monk so much?"

"I will do as you request father, but I believe the less time spent within his company would be better for all those involved."

With the edge of his lip turning up into a smirk, Inu no Taisho fought back his smile. "If that's how it is – "

"It is."

"I see no reason why you should have to travel together. It is a simple enough matter to send Miroku on Ah-Un to meet you there." Sake cup halfway to his lips, the Lord of the West cocked his head to the side in thought, "Although, I am curious about something." At his son's blank expression, Inu no Taisho continued, "How is it that you can stand that little imp, Jaken following you around?"

"Does Jaken speak often?"

Blinking once, Inu no Taisho could only stare. " _Does he speak often_? For the love of the gods, that's all that little runt does."

"I had not noticed."

" _Hadn't noticed_?" Inu no Taisho asked, his sake cup tilted precariously. "How – "

"Is there anything further you wish to discuss, father?"

"What? Uh, no. I think that is all."

Standing, mokomoko swayed gently behind Sesshomaru's back as he bowed. "Then I shall retire for the night as I will be setting out early tomorrow morning."

Standing himself, the Lord of the West dipped his head in respect of his son. "I will be up to see you off."

Turning, Sesshomaru sent a passing, "Do as you wish," over his shoulder before exiting the room, and just as Inu no Taisho had expected, Jaken was waiting beyond the door, his beak instantly flapping the moment his son passed into the hall. Eyes wide, the Lord of the West watched as Sesshomaru ignored the little kappa, at one point, even stepping on the irritating creature as he strode down the hall, never once acknowledging the imp. As the two passed from sight, Inu no Taisho let out a laugh from deep within his belly. "By the gods, that boy never fails to amaze me." How Sesshomaru could tune out such insipid squawking was a mystery to the Lord of the West. Continuing to chuckle, Inu no Taisho kneeled once more behind his desk, determined to get through at least a small fraction of the endless paperwork afflicting his life.

 _So . . . in this story, Miroku is something known as a "dimensional youkai". We'll have some fun banter (at least I hope you will all find it fun) between Sesshomaru and Miroku in the coming chapters. I also hope you all enjoyed a little more of Kouga here. We'll meet Ayame in upcoming chapters. I had a great time writing her as well. Kouga needs a strong mate._

 _I should have chapter 3 up next Sunday and plan to update Consequences of Chaos on Tuesday. Until then, I hope you are all well and enjoyed this chapter. As always, reviews are most welcome._

 _lunamist_


	3. Chapter 3

_Good evening again. Had some great and detailed reviews from last chapter that I really loved. Some of you have already figured out who Inuyasha's dad is in this fic. You'll still have to wait a bit to see who was right. I also had some requests for me to post more chapters per week. Because of my work schedule, that is really difficult so I can't promise anything there. Although the story is basically written, I still have editing and such to do on each chapter (although, to those of you out there that know their grammar, I'm sure it doesn't really look like I edit, or, at least I don't edit well). I'm sorry about that. I'm glad you're enjoying the story enough to want to read more of it. If I have a week that allows for another chapter update, I may try and throw one in here and there, but again . . . definitely no promises._

 _This chapter is a longer one. Most of you are eagerly anticipating Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's meeting. I'm not sure if this will suffice or not. This is kind of one of those "slow burn" fics - at least up to a certain point._

 _Not much else to say besides I hope you enjoy this next chapter. As always, I own nothing and make no financial gain from writing/posting this story._

Waiting by the rushing stream, Kouga looked down at the fading bruises upon his thighs. Of course there were more on his abdomen and back, fading green patches of color that meant so much more than the injuries themselves. Naturally, his father had not been pleased when he'd returned a few days ago smelling like InuHanyou. Kouga had known the old youkai would be pissed, but his father's wrath had gone beyond the normal insults and hits.

Shaking his head at the image reflected within the water, Kouga was only now beginning to understand what meeting and befriending Inuyasha had meant for him and the future of the Northern Wolf Tribe. Cracks the wolf prince had never seen or imagined within his tribe were now laid bare before his eyes. And these small cracks were turning into giant fissures. But these flaws were not his friend's fault. No, these were problems the hanyou had merely exposed, not created. They were problems that were growing increasingly difficult to mend. The day was coming, faster than he'd expected, where Kouga would have to challenge his father for leadership. The days of falsely idolizing his father were long past for the reality of many of the elder generations long held beliefs and practices would keep the Northern Wolf Tribe stymied in the past.

Nose lifted to the sky, a small grin etched its way across Kouga's face. Although still some distance away, the scent of InuHanyou was growing stronger. "So, the mutt came after all." Really, Kouga had never questioned whether or not Inuyasha would follow through with it. The hanyou had given his word and he'd long ago discovered that such a thing was never given lightly and always followed through on.

Shifting his tail to the side, Kouga sat on a large rock near the edge of the stream, his blue eyes fixed upon the trees lining the area. Soon enough, his sharp eyes caught hold of a flash of brilliant red as Inuyasha calmly broke through the nearby foliage. With a shake of his head, the wolf prince's ponytail brushed along the fur's clothing his back. "Should of known you'd wear that thing."

With a quick glance down, Inuyasha simply shrugged. "It's what I always wear."

"Yeah, that's kinda the point, mutt."

Growl barely contained, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I said I'd go to this damn thing. I didn't say nothin' about dressin' like somebody I'm not."

Standing, Kouga stifled the sigh begging for release. Truthfully, he couldn't argue with his hanyou friend. Whether he knew it or not, the firerat Inuyasha wore actually fit the hanyou more than any fancy dress ever could. In fact, if the other youkai knew that it was the InuHanyou himself who'd slain the creature whose fur he now wore . . . well, chances were pretty good those purebred, high and mighty youkai wouldn't believe such a thing in the first place. But whether they believed it or not, it was the truth and if a powerful dominant could see past the prejudice surrounding those of mixed blood, they'd see what a gift Inuyasha truly was. A submissive breeder strong enough to single handedly defeat a firerat youkai would produce some kickass pups.

Lost in his own thoughts, Kouga blinked when he realized the hanyou was talking. "What was that?"

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha stuffed his hands deep into the wide sleeves of his firerat. "I said, I don't see what you're bitchin' about 'cause you don't look a damn sight different either."

Mildly offended, Kouga took a step back, spreading his arms wide. "What are you talkin' about? I spent over half a day cleanin' my furs." Thrusting out his left leg, the wolf prince planted his heel into the ground, clawed toes up as he turned his ankle from side to side. "See this," Kouga claimed while pointing at the myriad of objects dangling from his tanned flesh. "These are bits and pieces of all the youkai I've defeated over the past few decades."

Nose wrinkling up, Inuyasha pulled his lips back in distaste. "I thought you wolves were gross, but I had not idea it was this bad."

"Shut it, mutt," Kouga muttered while pulling his leg back. "You're talkin' about shit you don't understand. Keepin' little pieces of my kills is proof of what a kick ass warrior I am. Besides, it's not you I've gotta impress but Ayame." At the mention of the she-wolf's name, a strange, dazed look passed over Kouga's eyes.

"Gods above, but you've got it bad. I just hope she agrees to be your mate, otherwise you are gonna be even more useless than ya already are."

Ignoring the jibe, Kouga smirked. "Of course she's gonna be my mate. Why wouldn't she?"

Having no desire to get into that particular argument, Inuyasha only huffed in annoyance. "-Keh, whatever. Like I really care anyways."

But the wolf prince knew Inuyasha did care. In fact, Kouga had little doubt that if he ever needed help, not that he ever would, but hypothetically speaking . . . if he ever needed help, Inuyasha would be there. Oh, the hanyou would be snarky about it and most likely complain afterwards, but that wasn't the point. What was the point was that Inuyasha would risk his life for Kouga and that was something the wolf prince would not soon forget or ignore.

Eyes drifting off into the woods, Inuyasha absently rubbed a hand under his nose. "So, are we gonna get goin' or are you just gonna stand there showin' off your hideous jewelry?"

Curling his toes into the soft earth, Kouga felt his body ease into position. Pushing power into his legs was as easy for him as it was for Inuyasha to fall asleep high upon a branch within a tree. "Bet I reach the next village before ya."

Feeling his own muscles clench in anticipation, Inuyasha smirked. "As if, ya mangy wolf."

Before either could boast more or make a bet, both took off through the woods, only a shimmering fall of leaves left to tell the tale of their passing.

::::::::::

Getting to the Gathering's location had taken less than two days, and if Inuyasha could have frozen time, then he'd have done so three hours ago for it was about that time the overwhelming pressure of gathered youkai energy began pushing at his senses – a constant hum that put all his survival instincts on alert. Kouga would never know how tortuous each and every step forward was, how difficult it was not to give into his ideas of self-preservation and simply turn on his heel and head in the opposite direction. Almost since his first memory, the hanyou had spent his life trying to avoid powerful, pure youkai and here he was, about to casually walk into a whole nest of them.

Sensing the increased tension within Inuyasha's frame, Kouga was far from ignorant to how his friend was feeling. Although he'd never fully be able to understand, the wolf had learned enough over these past few years to understand that the very fact the hanyou continued walking forwards was a testament to just how fucking strong his friend was. Feeling an odd sense of pride, Kouga sprinted forward, his feet taking him up a steep rise in the land, the new vantage point finally allowing a good view of the valley below. "Oi, muttface, get up here. You gotta see this."

Reluctantly, Inuyasha followed the wolf, his own amber eyes blowing wide with what lay below. There, spread across a brilliantly green valley, laid a myriad of buildings ranging from small huts and colorful tents to large pavilions. Within the center was the largest structure, a huge courtyard with benches for seating lining two sides of the oddly empty field. Dotted here and there, banners and flags of every conceivable color lazily waved in the breeze, the fabric dancing with wisps of rising smoke as it was discarded from nearby fires.

"Fuckin' hell," Inuyasha whispered.

Nodding, Kouga let out a whistle of appreciation. "Damn, this one looks twice the size of the last one. They must be expectin' a lot more youkai to show up this time around."

Cocking his head to the side, Inuyasha looked quizzical as he thought over the wolf's words. To his knowledge, Kouga was probably three or four decades older than him – too young to have been actively seeking a mate fifty years ago. "I thought this was your first one?"

Never once taking his eyes off the impressive sight before him, Kouga only smiled. "Yeah, it's the first one I've been to where I've been old enough to claim a mate, but I came last time with one of my uncles. It's pretty common for ripening youkai to tag along with a family member so they can get a general understandin' of what happens. Kinda like practice."

Inuyasha thought that made sense, but it didn't make him feel any better knowing there would be even more youkai here than he'd thought. Generally speaking, immature youkai weren't much of a physical threat, but more often than not, those same young youkai were cock-sure assholes out to prove to all their little piss-ant friends how tough they were and picking on the local half-breed seemed to be a crowd favorite.

With a hearty (and wholly unappreciated) slap to Inuyasha's back, Kouga's grin lit up the sky. "We better go down and get settled in."

Those words had barely left Kouga's mouth before the wolf was bounding down the side of the hill, Inuyasha's narrowed amber eyes staring after before closing all together. Head bowed, the hanyou took in a deep breath and prayed to whatever god that would listen that he would make it out of this whole mess with his life and at least a little of his pride still intact.

"Come on, mutt! Get your ass down here."

Growling low in his throat, Inuyasha pushed down his growing irritation while pulling up a vision of how happy Kaede had been when he'd told her his plans. Opening his eyes once more, he kept firm to the reason he was here in the first place. The hanyou would go down that hill and walk into Hell, it was the least he could do for the human miko who'd saved his life.

With his mind settled, Inuyasha spat out a quick, "Shut the fuck up, fleabag," before pushing forward, his clawed toes digging into the soft grass as he followed the swaying, eager tail of his friend.

::::::::::

Cresting the hill, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed disdainfully upon the field below. Most unmated youkai looked forward to the Gatherings with joyful anticipation, but all the Prince of the West felt was a sense of duty combined with more than a hint of dread. Without yet stepping foot into the valley, he already knew what would be found – inadequacy. To Sesshomaru's mind, no matter the term of fifty-year intervals, the outcomes were always the same – insufferably weak youkai whom only desired him for the power it would gain them. Although, in truth, the InuYoukai did not find this nearly as offensive as the mere fact that none were suited to the role they sought. In all likelihood, this time would end like all the others, with his father's disappointment.

Enjoying his last moments of peace, Sesshomaru's golden orbs narrowed even further as the wind stirred behind him, the sound of Ah-Un's laborious feet crunching the earth as the dragon landed a few yards away. Normally, Sesshomaru found the sounds of the two headed dragon soothing, but this time, the beast did not land alone and soon enough the tinkling sounds of metal upon metal sang through the forest.

"Ah, Prince Sesshomaru, how fortuitous it is that we come upon the edge of the Gathering at the same time."

Tensing imperceptibly, Sesshomaru knew there was nothing _fortuitous_ about Miroku's timing. He'd been around the lecherous monk enough centuries to know that, although Miroku appeared unorganized and haphazard, the dimensional youkai was anything but. With this in mind, Sesshomaru said nothing, his eyes never once straying from the bright fabric below.

As for Miroku, he too was used to the cold and stoic prince and as such had not actually expected any type of retort. Sliding off Ah-Un's back, Miroku yawned widely while stretching his limbs. Having relieved himself of all the kinks riding the dragon had caused, the monk used one hand to gratefully scratch Ah-Un's neck while the other worked at his own ass. "Thank you for the lift, my friend. My nether regions may be aching, but the peaceful company was worth it."

Only partially paying attention, Sesshomaru wondered once more why Miroku didn't use his Wind Tunnel more often. The lecher was a dimensional youkai and should he wish it, could use his own powers to travel through dimensions in order to get where he wanted almost instantaneously. Sesshomaru had seen Miroku do it before, but for some reason he could not fathom, the monk didn't like traveling that way. It was rare to see the Wind Tunnel in action and even rarer for Miroku to use it on himself and instead used the awesome power as a weapon to trap his enemy in dimensions unknown to the InuYoukai.

Hearing Miroku's barely there footsteps, Sesshomaru patiently waited for the monk to come closer, steeling his body for the irritating youkai's normal greeting. Feeling the lecher's hand land upon his shoulder, Sesshomaru reminded himself that his father would not be happy if he decapitated the monk when the Lord of the West had specifically sent Miroku to _assist_ his search. Still, the InuYoukai growled low in his throat. "It is odd to this Sesshomaru that you continue to insist upon placing that cursed hand of yours where it is clearly unwanted. If you continue being so careless, it shall not be long before the world is absent one more dimensional youkai."

Chuckling low, Miroku removed his hand. Although he had no doubts regarding the prince's irritation nor just how violent Sesshomaru could be, Miroku had long ago decided that living in fear of the Heir of the West was a one-way ticket to a dismal life. Although he truly doubted Sesshomaru would ever do him irreversible harm, the thought was not without merit so perhaps he would try and exhibit some form of self control these next few days.

"As I am the only known dimensional youkai living within this world, I shall take your warning to heart, my prince. The gods know this dimension would be all the more dismal should I be removed from it." As his laughter quickly turned into a genuine smile, Miroku marveled at Sesshomaru's ability to so expertly hide his irritation. Although most thought the Heir of the West to be an emotionless shell, Miroku had long suspected this was far from the case. In fact, he was fairly certain Sesshomaru's emotions were akin to a volcano; broiling, hot, and under unbearable pressure.

With those thoughts kept wisely to himself, Miroku stared down upon the valley holding untold number of youkai. "I have never been to a Gathering before."

"Consider yourself fortunate."

Eyes drifting to the side, Miroku felt his lips tip up into a faint smile. As odd as it seemed, he couldn't help but agree with the InuYoukai by his side. Not all youkai of reproductive age actually desired a mate and for most of those, such as himself, they had the option of either abstaining from such an event or coming merely for the pleasure of socializing and meeting potential mates. The pressure was eased and allowed for a more enjoyable atmosphere. As for Miroku, a fiery hunter youkai named Sango had long ago stolen his heart. Although he was a submissive, Miroku wasn't a male breeder and so he was attracted to dominant females and none were more beautiful or tempting than the lovely Sango. Unfortunately, the one he desired had no current compunction to enter into a formal mating and so the monk had long ago decided to bide his time and wait. And wait he would, for as long as it took Sango to realize his unwavering devotion.

But no matter how much he desired the hunter youkai, Miroku's nature would not be swayed and his flirtatious habits would simply not fade away. Not that he tried exceptionally hard either. And with that thought in mind, Miroku found he was sincerely looking forward to the next few days. No doubt his reputation regarding being little more than a lecherous tease would only grow once this term's Gathering ended.

Seeing the despicable monk's increasing amusement as Miroku stared down on the valley below did little to improve Sesshomaru's increasingly foul mood. "I do not see what there is to be so pleased about, monk."

"Of course you don't," Miroku teased before shaking his head. "Unlike you, Prince Sesshomaru, I find making new acquaintances enjoyable and from the look of things, there will be plenty of opportunities to make new friends."

Suppressing a growl, Sesshomaru couldn't quite stop the curl of his lip or the glint of fang that caught the sunlight. "Why my father values your council, I shall never understand."

Looking all together too thoughtful, Miroku's eyes traveled heavenward while a single finger tapped at his lips. "The ways of Lord Inu no Taisho are truly a mystery." Sighing dramatically, Miroku's hand tightened down upon his staff while his eyes took on a look of dramatic determination. "You have my word, Prince Sesshomaru, that I will make it my life's goal to find you a suitable mate. I shall have no other purpose until this seemingly impossible task is completed."

No longer able to suppress his growl, Sesshomaru's eyes tinted a hazy red. "Do not strain yourself, monk." And with nothing further to say, the Heir of the Western Lands began making his way down the hill. Should he stay a moment later, Sesshomaru was not at all sure he would be able to guarantee Miroku's continued survival.

Watching Sesshomaru make an elegant exit, Miroku stifled a laugh when he caught sight of mokomoko, the InuYoukai's tail, fluffed in obvious irritation. Bowing his head, Miroku sighed as he considered his earlier thoughts regarding trying not to antagonize Sesshomaru. Whispering a quiet, "Buddha help me," Miroku thought his chances of surviving long enough to see his dear Sango once more were rapidly dwindling and he had none to blame but his own idiotic mouth.

::::::::::

"What a load of horse shit," Inuyasha mumbled while making his way to a large tree that lay beyond the last row of tents. "Nothin' but a stupid waste of time."

Finally at the base of his chosen tree, the hanyou wasted no time leaping up into his newfound sanctuary. Going up higher and higher, Inuyasha found the top most branch that could easily support his weight and promptly plunked his ass down. Given the dense foliage of the tree, he could barely see the makeshift town that now made up the Gathering. Now if he could only shut out its stench and noise he could happily pretend he was anywhere but here.

Taking in a shallow breath, Inuyasha shoved his hands deep into the sleeves of his firerat while shutting his eyes. Although he'd like to be pissed at Kouga, the hanyou knew he could have said no to this whole thing and blaming the wolf for everything was the easy way out, and Inuyasha never took the easy way out. In the end, it was his own damn weakness, his own tender feelings for the aging miko who'd taken him in and treated him like he actually had a right to belong in this world. The relieved look on Kaede's face when he'd told her he was actually planning on going to this gods forsaken event had sealed the deal. Kaede wanted him to find a mate - someone who'd keep him company over the potentially long years of his life, someone who'd actually give a damn.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha grunted something incoherent. "Yeah, like that shit's gonna happen." Although he'd been here only a few short hours, the time was more than enough for the hanyou to confirm his every thought regarding this farce of an event. From what he could see, the vast majority of submissives were nothing but a bunch of weak, pansy ass youkai that he could easily wipe the floor with. And to make matters worse, the dominants were everything he'd feared they would be: arrogant, conceited, and full of prejudiced ideas. And, although many were strong, Inuyasha was fairly certain that he'd be able to beat most in a fair, one on one fight.

Fighting down a shiver that raced through his body, the hanyou thought about the handful of dominant youkai he'd felt that were anything but weak and it was this group that well and truly scared the shit out of him. It was this group that sent an odd tingling sensation through his system. Being a submissive male breeder, it was only natural for his youkai to be attracted to the most powerful of the dominant males, but Inuyasha wasn't a pure youkai and his experience with powerful as fuck youkai had left him anything but pleasant memories. And so, instead of basking in that wonderful, fluttering feeling of anticipation such encounters should be giving him, Inuyasha's instincts for survival gave his body a sick, stomach-cramping ache along with a healthy dose of frantic feelings for the immediate need for flight. How the fuck was he supposed to actually find a mate when just being around one of the more powerful dominants made him want to vomit?

Gritting his teeth, Inuyasha hated this – hated it more than just about anything. Being here was doing nothing but making him feel weak and vulnerable and the hanyou hated feeling those two emotions. He hated and fought them and yet no matter how much he loathed himself for feeling like running for the hills, Inuyasha couldn't stop his reactions. Years of living constantly under threat, of fighting for every scrap of food, every instant of rest and every ounce of warmth had turned him into a creature constantly living in survival mode. True, his years with Kaede in the human village had at least given him the capacity for social interaction, but it had not deadened his nervous agitation or wary anticipation that pain and hunger were but a hairs-breath away.

With a deep breath, Inuyasha calmed his pounding heart and with that calm, he threw out any miniscule hope he'd dared hold that he might actually find a mate at this damned thing. He had promised to come, and he had. The hanyou knew he would stay and stick it out, if only to satisfy his own need not to give in to his own fears. He would stay and keep his head down and out of as much trouble as possible, and when it was over, he would go back to Kaede's village and do what he'd thought of a few days ago – he'd lie like he'd never lied before. Somehow, he would convince Kaede that he'd actually found a decent mate and then he'd leave, never to see the miko again.

Staunchly ignoring the aching pain in his chest at the idea of only getting to see and speak with Kaede one last time, Inuyasha settled back into the only constant salvation in his life – the height and protection of a sturdy tree. Pushing back the myriad of hurtful images threatening his mind behind closed lids, the hanyou did what he always did and ignored his own pain, his ears perked and alert for any predatory noise as he allowed his body a moment of much needed rest.

::::::::::

Lying still as the dead, Inuyasha woke from an all to brief nap; his ears open wide and listening for what had roused him. Within seconds, he heard the sound of footsteps as they grew closer and closer to his location. Still unmoving, the hanyou took in a deeper drought of air, allowing the different scents to filter through his senses as he separated each and every one out until recognition hit him – wolf. Kouga.

Irritated, but now more relaxed, Inuyasha feigned sleep knowing there was no way in hell Kouga would buy it.

"Figured this is where I'd find ya."

Lamenting an end to his peace, Inuyasha's ears twitched irritatingly before he opened his eyes, narrowing his lids while staring down at the wolf who'd planted himself at the base of his tree. "-Keh, what the fuck do you want?"

Placing his hands on the furs covering his hips, Kouga's tail twitched back and forth as he stared up at his friend. "Gods above, you'd think you were some kind of cat youkai instead of canine the way you scurry up these damn things."

As insults went between the two, this one was both mild and often used, thus negating most of its sting. "Whatever. You just don't know what you're missin' is all."

With a shake of his head, Kouga really did wonder what the mutt saw in these towering behemoths of wood and foliage. In his mind, trees had nothing on a good den. Dens provided a solid roof over your head and could be defended and warmed a hell of a lot easier. "I ain't missin' nothin' mutt, now get down here so I can talk to ya without puttin' a crick in my neck."

Muttering a quiet, "Pansy ass wolf," Inuyasha pushed himself into a crouching position before lazily easing his way down the tree, finally settling on a low branch but still not committing to putting his clawed toes on the ground. Settling once more, the hanyou swung his legs back and forth while staring down at Kouga's narrowed blue eyes. "Stop your bitchin' cause this is as far as I'm comin'."

Head cocked to the side, Kouga pondered this latest development. Having known the hanyou for a couple of decades now, the wolf prince had picked up on a few tell tail traits, one of them being that when something was really bugging the puppy, it was hell getting Inuyasha to come out of whatever tree he'd wiggled his ass up into.

Frowning, Kouga's earlier excitement at having seen Ayame waned. "You've only been here a few hours. What the fuck happened to have you tree-bound already?"

Clamping his mouth down tight, Inuyasha's ears buried into his silvery-while hair. "Nothin' happened, asshole. I just thought I'd rest for a bit."

"Riiiight."

Knowing that tone and look, Inuyasha offered a quick, "It ain't nothin' I wasn't expectin' so drop it," and was thankful that after a few more seconds of intense blue eyes, Kouga finally shrugged his shoulders and answered, "Okay," before a large grin spread across his face. Seeing that genuine joy, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel lighter himself, his earlier insecurities momentarily washed away. "What do you have to be so damn chipper about?"

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Kouga's chest puffed up with his unbridled excitement. "Just saw Ayame and man is she lookin' good."

Rolling his amber eyes, Inuyasha finally jumped down from his perch, easily landing on the soft earth below. "Can't really see why that's such a momentous occasion. Not like you didn't know she was gonna be here."

Smile growing even wider (if possible) Kouga vigorously nodded. "Yeah, of course, but she yelled at me!"

Even more baffled at why this would make the stupid wolf so pleased, Inuyasha could only stare. "You get hit in the head or somethin'?"

"Actually, yeah. When she was done, Ayame smacked me a good one."

"Uh-huh? Again, and you're happy at that because . . . "

Throwing his hands up, Kouga looked exasperated. "Because mutt, she didn't even talk to any of the other dominants. Ayame ignored everybody else except for me. It's a good sign. A damn good sign."

Ears twitching, Inuyasha could only stare, skepticism clearly written across his face. Having never felt even the smallest inclination of attraction towards another, he had nothing to base the wolf's actions on and yet, getting yelled at as well as thumped in the head didn't really sound like a good thing to him. Hell, if screaming and violence were indications of attraction then the whole damned youkai world seemed to be after his ass.

Suppressing a shiver as he thought back on all the disgusting youkai he'd had to fight over the years, Inuyasha decided that line of thinking needed to end – immediately. Crossing his arms, the hanyou leaned back against the wide trunk of his tree. "Well, I guess I'm glad for ya, but if Ayame's here then what the fuck are you doin' buggin' me?"

"You ask me this considerin' where I found you?"

"I don't see what that's got to do with anything."

"No, of course you don't." Huffing loudly, Kouga mimicked his friend's stance. "How do you ever expect to meet anyone if all you're gonna do is hide up there in that damn tree?"

Bristling, Inuyasha didn't like how close Kouga came to his actual plan. "I learned all I needed to know within five minutes of steppin' foot into this place."

"Muttface – "

"Listen, I promised I'd come and here I am so let it go."

"What good is comin' if you don't plan on actually puttin' in some effort to look around."

Head tilted down and off to the side, Inuyasha sucked in a punishing breath. "You and I both know what a fuckin' waste of time this is."

Without further thought, Kouga reached forward and wrapped a hand around the hanyou's wrist, tugging his reluctant friend after him as he began stomping back towards the tents lining the edge of the Gathering.

"Asshole! If you don't let go this damn minute – "

Head swiveling back, Kouga didn't even slow his pace. "You'll what? Beat the shit outta me? Go ahead and try it but the only one whose gonna look like a looser is you. Now get your head outta your ass and come with me 'cause for some damned reason, I wanna introduce you to Ayame."

Glancing around, Inuyasha realized they'd soon be among the other youkai and the last thing in the world he wanted was to look like some weak ass punk bein' dragged around by the damned wolf. "-Keh, fine. I'll come but let go of me."

"I've got your word on that?"

"Yes, you've got my gods be damned word, now get your fuckin' claws off my skin."

Pleased that he'd gotten his way, Kouga happily complied while slowing his pace and allowing the hanyou to catch up. Once even with his own gait, the wolf looked over, a sloppy grin plastered across his face. "See, that wasn't so tough, now was it?"

Muttering a quiet, "Ass," Inuyasha refused to rub his aching wrist and simply tucked his hands into the sleeves of his firerat. "You know your dad's gonna be pissed when he hears about you taken me into the wolf areas."

Snorting, Kouga shrugged his shoulders. "As if that's ever stopped me."

Stopping, Inuyasha waited for Kouga to realize he wasn't still at his side. It didn't take long before the wolf let out a quick, "Hey, what – "

With a deep sigh, Inuyasha's ears flattened into the silvery-white strands of his thick hair. Ever since he'd met the wolf prince, Inuyasha had marveled at Kouga's continued association with him, even at the expense of his relationship with his father and clan. For the hanyou, Kouga's actions were strange and wholly without precedence. And although he valued their friendship more than he'd ever admit, Inuyasha was worried about the wolf's cavalier attitude regarding their continued interactions. And knowing just how much Kouga cared for Ayame; he didn't want to be a reason used to deny his friend's deepest desire.

Easily recognizing Inuyasha's current posture of head bowed, bangs covering his eyes, Kouga knew something more was troubling the hanyou; most likely his friend was fretting over something stupid again. "What's got ya in a funk now?"

Head snapping up, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed while his lips thinned. "I ain't in a _funk_ , idiot."

"Maybe not, but chances are you're thinkin' about useless shit again."

Pointing an accusing claw at Kouga's chest, Inuyasha was more than irritated. "Thinkin' about your future with the one you wanna mate ain't somethin' stupid."

Now more confused than anything, Kouga could only cock his head to the side. "What are you goin' on about now?"

"Hangin' out with me is one thing, but how are Ayame and her kin gonna react when you drag my hanyou ass in there for me to meet her? From what I understand, she's the damn princess of her tribe. I can't imagine she's gonna wanna associate with me."

Eyes wide, the dark blue of Kouga's iris's shown in the fading light. "We really gotta work on your self-doubt issues."

Even more pissed, Inuyasha huffed. "It ain't self-doubt, it's experience. You and I both know I can wipe the floor with just about every damn pure-blooded youkai millin' around this place, but that don't mean I'm gonna gain anymore acceptance because of it."

Lips twitching up, Kouga felt are rare smile tilt his lips – one not associated with playful deviousness, but of genuine happiness. "Listen mutt, Ayame's not like that. If she were, I wouldn't look twice in her direction. That bitch is full of fire and sass, just the way I like 'em. What she's not full of is stupid ignorance. Ayame's got a mind of her own and thank the gods, she uses it." Smile turning more into its trademark smirk, Kouga added, "Besides, she's been houndin' me for ages about meetin' ya. If I don't bring ya over, I might be missin' a testicle or two come mornin' and that thought don't do shit for my peace of mind."

Forcing down his threatening mirth, Inuyasha had to make sure his point was known. "And what about the rest of her family?"

Turning, Kouga began walking again. Chances were pretty good the hanyou would follow and a slight tilting of his eyes to the right didn't disappoint. "They've got about as much control over Ayame as my dad has over me." Shaking his head, Kouga was just now beginning to figure out how little Inuyasha really knew about wolf politics as well as his own standing within the wolf tribes. "Inuyasha, standing within the wolf tribes is about lineage as well as power and I really ain't braggin' when I say I'm the strongest in my generation. I might piss off the higher ups, but as long as I can kick all their asses, no one's gonna banish me. Besides, banishment isn't really somethin' wolf packs do, or at least, it would take somethin' a hell of a lot more serious than me hangin' out with your sorry ass to earn somethin' like that."

"-Keh, that ain't sayin' much if you're the strongest wolf out there."

Shooting out a fisted hand, Kouga aimed a punch at the hanyou's arm, which Inuyasha deftly dodged, a heart-warming chuckle lilting through the air. "Damn, that was weak."

"That's 'cause I wasn't really tryin'."

Smiling, at least for a little while, Inuyasha was able to ignore the heated stares of disgust and condescension as they walked into the heart of the Gathering. But, as they neared the western most edge, the hanyou's pace faltered as something new and . . . warm tingled through his senses. Pace slowing, Inuyasha's confused eyes lifted as they scanned the crowd for the cause of such an odd sensation. Glancing around, he soon found that many other youkai had stopped and all were staring in quiet awe. Following the collective gazes, Inuyasha's feet faltered and finally stopped, his amber eyes blown wide at the figure in the distance.

Frustrated that the hanyou had stopped once again, Kouga began wondering if he really would have to fear for his trusted manhood tonight because at this rate, they'd never get to Ayame. Turning, Kouga had an irritated, _"What the fuck?"_ at the ready but before the words could slip out, his mouth slammed shut at the oddly dazed look on his friend's face. Curious, Kouga unknowingly did what Inuyasha had just done and followed the hanyou's gaze, only for his own to fall upon the Prince of the Western Lands.

Grunting, Kouga had wondered if the great Sesshomaru would grace the Gathering with his presence again and now he had his answer. Although he wasn't sure how many Gathering's the ice-prick had come to, it was pretty widely known how they had all ended – with the Heir of the West deeming none worthy. Arms folded over his chest, Kouga's eyes narrowed in distaste. "See you've noticed the Jackass of the West."

Ear twitching, Inuyasha was confused and uttered a quick, "What?"

Jerking a thumb in the InuYoukai's direction, Kouga explained, "Prince Sesshomaru, Heir of the Western Lands." Quietly waiting for what was sure to be some kind of sarcastically flippant comment from Inuyasha, Kouga was surprised when he noted how silent his friend was. "Hey, you okay?"

Coming out of his daze, Inuyasha blinked twice before nodding. "Yeah, it's just . . . is he a pure InuYoukai?"

"About as pure as they get I guess," Kouga answered with a shrug while wondering about the odd question.

Blinking again, Inuyasha could only stare at the tall, graceful figure that was Prince Sesshomaru. Even from this distance, he could tell how striking the InuYoukai was, not to mention the intensely powerful youkai that radiated off the Western Heir. Knowing that most youkai suppressed their power on a normal basis, Inuyasha could only wonder at what this being's true capabilities were. And so, voice barely a whisper, the hanyou simply stated, "I've never seen one."

As realization dawned with heartbreaking clarity, Kouga took in a small gasp of air. Why had he never considered this before? Although he'd heard the hanyou speak about his human mother, Kouga had never learned anything of Inuyasha's father. Given the mutt's power, he'd always assumed Inuyasha's father had been a rather powerful InuYoukai, but he hadn't really given it much more thought than that. Although, he'd kind of figured his friend had actually met his sire, but given the hanyou's previous words, that appeared not to be the case. Still, Kouga's curiosity got the better of him as he asked, "What about your sire?"

"What about him?"

"Didn't you ever meet him?"

Lips twisting into a snarl, Inuyasha's head lowered. "Of course not. The bastard knocked my mom up and then ditched us. Mom said he was happy about the pregnancy, but I think his actions more than spoke otherwise."

"Oh," truly, Kouga didn't really know what else to say. To Kouga's way of thinking, pups were precious and no dominant worth their weight would ever abandon one of their offspring, not even if it was hanyou. Although there would be shame in actually procreating with a human, if a pup were actually conceived in such an act, they wouldn't be abandoned . . . would they?

Skin paling slightly, Kouga realized he'd never actually considered the circumstances around Inuyasha's existence. The cold, hard truth was most likely more sinister than he'd naively thought. Thinking about his father, as well as the elder council members, Kouga was fairly certain he knew what would have become of such a pup. True to his initial thoughts, he didn't believe it would have been abandoned, but the wolf prince also doubted it would be allowed to live. Knowing the position of many in his tribe, Kouga was sickened to realize what most would do with such a half-breed pup – slaughter it. In many minds, this would be considered the humane and honorable action. Placing a hand to his head, Kouga knew this was one more thing he would need to fix within his tribe and hopefully those of other wolf tribes as well. Inuyasha was living proof just how precious children of mixed heritage could be. Strong, honorable, trustworthy – these were all words that better described the hanyou before him than most of the pureblooded wolves within his own tribe.

Coughing into his hand, Kouga cleared his throat, ready to get Inuyasha moving again when he heard the hanyou whisper, "Why's he starin' at me?"

Head quickly snapping around, Kouga was amazed and more than a little worried to see what his friend had said was true. Stone still and silent as ever, Sesshomaru stood far off in the distance completely ignoring the swarm of pandering youkai attempting to keep a respectable or at least, safe distance from the Heir of the West. Although this wasn't abnormal, the fact that Sesshomaru's eyes had focused in on anything with such a burning intensity, was. In fact, the few times he'd seen such a look before, the object of that gaze had mere seconds to live.

With that thought clearly in his mind, Kouga's clawed hand quickly snagged a vibrant red sleeve and with utmost haste, began pulling Inuyasha away. "Come on, mutt."

Never one to enjoy being forced to do anything, Inuyasha snarled, "Stop pullin'."

Not letting up for an instant, Kouga wanted to get out of Sesshomaru's visual range ASAP. Never once slowing or turning to look Inuyasha in the eye, Kouga stomped ever forward as he quietly spoke, knowing the hanyou's ears would more than be able to pick up on his hushed words. "Listen, I could give two shits about most of the youkai out there, mostly because I can wipe the floor with their ass with one hand tied behind my back, but . . . that fucker's different." Finally far enough away, Kouga stopped and turned his full attention on his friend. "I know you're curious, but do me a favor and stay away from Sesshomaru, at least until I can figure some shit out."

Arms instantly crossing over his chest, Inuyasha didn't hide his offense. On the one hand, he was pissed Kouga thought he couldn't handle himself, on the other, he wasn't an idiot who'd go voluntarily looking for trouble from something that freakishly powerful. "I ain't weak, but I ain't stupid either. Besides, why would I want anything to do with him?"

Shifting his weight back on his heels, Kouga allowed a single eyebrow to rise. "Maybe because he's a pure InuYoukai, one of the few remaining if I'm to believe what my father says. He represents half of what you are and anyone would want to know more about that. Besides, don't forget who you're talkin' to, mutt. If I thought you were weak, we wouldn't of had a first conversation, let alone a couple of decades of 'em."

"-Keh, whatever. Let's just go so I can meet this woman of yours and then get back to my tree."

Smiling enough to show fang, Kouga boasted, "Damn right she's my woman," all the while knowing that saying such a thing in front of Ayame was a one way ticket to getting his ass kicked. Still, the wolf prince was happy to get Inuyasha further away from Sesshomaru. Not knowing what that look was truly about had all of Kouga's senses on alert. Everyone knew the Heir of the Western Lands was, at best, aloof, and at worst, coldly cruel. Personally, he'd only had a very few interactions with Sesshomaru, all of them pleasantly unpleasant. Polite yet standoffish, Kouga could never get a true read on the jackass and that more than anything bothered him. Add on the fact that few, if any, really knew just how powerful Prince Sesshomaru was and well . . . none of it sounded like something he wanted Inuyasha anywhere near.

With these thoughts rustling around in his mind, Kouga's blue eyes discretely glanced over his shoulder. As they got further and further away from the low level hum of Sesshomaru's youkai, Kouga finally allowed his true fear out for contemplation. He'd always assumed the remaining InuYoukai knew of Inuyasha's existence and simply ignored him in his abandonment. But, given what he now knew, that the hanyou had never met his sire, Kouga was rethinking just how smart it had been to drag his friend to this thing. Because, if the InuYoukai of the West reacted as he suspected the elder council of his own pack would . . . what exactly would they do? What if he'd just blown Inuyasha's best defense – anonymity? What if they saw him as nothing but an abomination in need of correction? What if Sesshomaru saw Inuyasha as a blight upon the purity of his race? What if the Heir of the West attacked his friend?

Shaking his head, Kouga knew what would happen, or at least, what would most likely happen – his tribe would need to look for another heir because there was no way he would abandon Inuyasha like that and even between the two of them, Kouga highly doubted they'd manage to do more than land a couple of blows on Sesshomaru – if they were lucky.

Deep in his own thoughts, Kouga never realized just how quiet Inuyasha was being. Unknown to him, the hanyou's thoughts were traveling down similar roads. Having never met Sesshomaru before, Inuyasha didn't know just how mind numbingly impossible it would be to go up against him. But in the end, none of it mattered much. If Sesshomaru saw fit to attack him merely for existing, then he'd fight. He'd fight until not an ounce of blood remained in his body. He'd fight until every last breath had left his lungs. He'd fight for his life and never once apologize for it.

And yet, despite the natural fear welling up from deep within his soul, Inuyasha couldn't regret seeing the Prince of the Western Lands. All his life he'd wondered what a pure InuYoukai actually looked like and he hadn't been disappointed. Although he'd never admit it, when his eyes landed upon Sesshomaru, his first impression had been one of deep awe quickly followed by a sense of inadequacy. It was this latter emotion that had infuriated him. Inuyasha loved and respected his human mother and to feel shame at being a half-breed was in itself . . . shameful. Sesshomaru might be of pure breeding, but that sure as shit didn't make him any better than Inuyasha and if the jackass wanted to start something then all the hanyou had to say to that was a firm, _bring it on!_

 _Ah . . . chapter 3 is done. What did you all think of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru first seeing each other? Looks like Kouga has a whole new set of worries where Inuyasha is concerned. Also, I hope you all enjoyed Miroku and Sesshomaru's interactions. I'm sure it really soothed Sesshomaru's soul to know that Miroku's going to make it his life's mission to find the Heir of the West a mate - Ha! Oh, and I think in the next chapter we finally get to meet Ayame and true to Kouga's description - she's full of fire and sass._

 _I hope you all have a good week. It's summer where I live and that makes life a lot more enjoyable (at least for me). Chapter 4 should be up next sunday._

 _lunamist_


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, many reviewer's are requesting more than one chapter per week. I won't always be able to do it and quite possibly most weeks won't, but this is a shorter chapter and thought it would be nice to do this one tonight and a bit longer one on Sunday. Sunday will still be the primary update day._

 _I think most of you enjoyed the last chapter with several people wondering just what Sesshomaru was really thinking when he saw Inuyasha. This chapter kicks us off on the inner workings of Sesshomaru's youkai. This is also a chapter that bounces around a bit, so please bear with it. It might be a small one, but it actually holds a lot of hints/introductions to topics, characters and inner workings of the Gathering._

 _Once more, thanks to all of those whom reviewed. Truly got some lovely and well thought out ones after the last chapter. I love the fact that this story is getting many of you to think and speculate on what is coming next. It's funny because many of you will review with an idea and I'll think, "Damn, that would have been good. Why didn't I think of that"._

 _I think that about covers it, so on with Chapter 4 . . ._

Smiling and greeting those they came across, Miroku took it upon himself to act as a type of ambassador of the Western Lands. In truth, the monk more than relished this kind of thing. Miroku had learned long ago that part of the key to success in battle was having an enemy that greatly underestimated your abilities. To this end, few would assume the good natured, warm soul they were shaking hands with had in that same hand, the ability to almost instantly remove them from this world – snuffing out their existence in this dimension as simply as opening the palm of his hand.

Paying little to no attention to the actions of the youkai beside him, Sesshomaru's face remained as unemotional as ever while his mind sneered once more at the completely inadequate submissive youkai he'd seen thus far. To him, it was a poor indication as to where youkai in general were headed for they were a far cry from the stories he'd grown up on as a child – stories that spoke of powerful mated pairs that conquered previously untamable lands from wretched enemies.

Internally snorting at such thoughts, Sesshomaru knew that he could never take any of the breeding submissives here into battle and the mere thought of taking such _delicate_ creatures into untamed wilds was laughable. So far, there had only been one submissive of breeding quality that had held even the slightest bit of interest, but she was a wolf and Sesshomaru detested the very scent of not only this female, but wolves in general. And so, although he could admire that the Princess Ayame was an acceptable specimen, the thought of actually mating with her made Sesshomaru's youkai snarl in disgust.

Irritated that he was stuck amongst not only the lecherous monk, but all of these irritating youkai, Sesshomaru felt his mokomoko begin twitching and knew he needed to extricate himself before he lost what little control he had left on his temper. But just as he was ready to leave, a soft, pleasant scent touched his senses. Instantly stilling, the Prince of the West shut everything else out as his head lifted and his intense, golden eyes began surveying the area for the source.

There, far in the distance, a pair of amber eyes caught his and Sesshomaru felt the world momentarily pause. Never once blinking, he took in the small and apparently young InuHanyou and wondered at such a creature's very existence. Breathing in, Sesshomaru tasted the scent on his tongue and knew, to the very pit of his youkai core, that the fresh scent he detected belonged to the half-breed; a half-breed no InuYoukai knew existed. And yet, there he was – an InuHanyou male, submissive breeder. In that moment, to Sesshomaru, no other existed.

More attentive to his surroundings than most realized, Miroku sensed a change in Sesshomaru and discretely turned the weight of his attention in that direction, all the while still managing to exchange pleasantries with the peacock youkai currently exalting his submissive daughter's attributes. As the proud parent droned on, Miroku was startled to see the intense gaze upon Sesshomaru's face. Something had caught his attention, which unfortunately, most likely meant something bad had happened and he'd soon be cleaning up the political fallout of fresh bloodshed.

Quickly following the InuYoukai's gaze, Miroku's own eyebrows rose slightly before lowering as his eyes narrowed. _Is that an InuHanyou?_ Blinking once, Miroku took in the silvery-white hair, burnished amber eyes and twitching puppydog ears, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth as one word went through his mind, _cute_.

Nose nowhere near as acute as the InuYoukai beside him, Miroku couldn't scent whether the InuHanyou was a submissive or dominant, but the odd interest Sesshomaru was throwing his way made him think it was the former instead of the latter. Ear catching something more from the peacock youkai, Miroku dutifully nodded his head and let the bird youkai before him think it was because of his words instead of the true reason.

With a few more quick words, Miroku watched the latest suitor walk away and no more had this happened than the monk heard a low growl echo from his right side. Quickly swiveling his head, Miroku looked across the field in time to see the InuHanyou being pulled away by none other than the wolf prince, Kouga. Gaze flicking back, Miroku caught the subtle traces of crimson leak away from Sesshomaru's eyes and felt his smile return with gusto. "My prince, does something trouble you?"

As if a switch had been thrown, Sesshomaru's emotions shut down as his face regained its normal, unemotional mask. "Nothing that should concern you, monk." Although his voice had been as sure as ever, Sesshomaru was wondering at his own actions as well as reactions. The InuHanyou meant nothing to him and he certainly had no interest in him so why had his youkai become so enraged when the wolf had touched the half-breed?

Sidling up a little closer than was probably safe or wise, Miroku placed his fingers upon his chin and rubbed thoughtfully as he decided to poke a little at the fire he'd recently seen flare to life. "I was unaware there were any InuHanyou living."

Annoyed at the monk's observations, Sesshomaru ignored the flare of . . . _something_ , which burst through his chest at the mention of the hanyou. "It is of little concern, but it should be brought to father's attention."

"Indeed. What do you believe he shall do with this information?"

Although Sesshomaru wasn't sure, he knew well that Lord Inu no Taisho would be curious and more than likely seek out the young male. There were precious few InuYoukai left living and one of them had either sired or birthed the half-breed in secret, leading Sesshomaru to believe it more likely to be that the hanyou's sire was InuYoukai, not his mother. Given Inu no Taisho's nature, Sesshomaru doubted he would have any ill will towards the half-breed, more likely his father would see it as their duty to take the hanyou in and care for him. Which begged the question, _who had raised the half-breed?_

If, as Sesshomaru assumed was most likely, the hanyou's sire was InuYoukai, that meant his mother had died long ago so who had raised him? For reasons Sesshomaru could not begin to fathom, the thought of the half-breed fending for himself was unacceptable.

Shaking such unreasonable thoughts from his mind, Sesshomaru finally turned on his heel and began walking away as he finally answered, "My father shall do as he wishes." And with nothing further to say, the Prince of the West walked towards the edge of the Gathering in search of some peace and quiet.

As Miroku watched Sesshomaru leave, the monk turned to stare at the place the hanyou had just been. Smile soft; Miroku knew he would need to find out more about this half-breed. Suddenly and unexpectedly his world was looking more interesting.

::::::::::

Lost in his own thoughts, Inuyasha failed to realize just how blindly he was following his equally silent friend. Weaving in and out of makeshift alleyways created by haphazardly pitched tents, for once, the hanyou didn't notice the looks of malice and surprise his mere presence created. Mind still hazed with images of shimmering alabaster skin and piercing golden eyes, Inuyasha was lost to the world around him. That is, he was lost until he heard Kouga curse, "Damn that woman."

Stopping, Inuyasha's amber eyes rose and widened at the scene unfolding before them. Bent over her prey, all the hanyou could see was the rapid tail swish of a very pissed off she-wolf youkai.

Ears perked, Inuyasha listened as the she-wolf growled low and menacingly. "Next time you wanna cop a feel of my tail, I want you to remember this moment and that it's only because I feel sorry for your pathetic ass that I'm sparing your life."

Beside him, Inuyasha could practically feel the fur on Kouga's skin bristle to attention, but soon enough, his friend relaxed and a low chuckle filled the air. "Told ya she was somethin' else, didn't I, mutt."

At the sound of Kouga's voice, the she-wolf turned, smirking enough to show fang. "Hey Kouga." No more had the words exited her mouth than the badly bruised wolf she had pinned to the ground began attempting to get up. Freshly irritated, the she-wolf slammed a clawed foot down upon the other's chest, an audible _crack_ echoing through the clearing as she spat, "I don't remember tellin' you to get up."

Whispering a quiet, "Shit," Inuyasha felt the edges of his lips curl into a genuine smile. "So, I take it this is Ayame?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kouga grunted, "Yeah, that's her alright."

Finally releasing her prey with barely a look back, Ayame walked forwards, all the while flipping her claws to the side, small specks of blood splattering the nearby ground. Seeing the crimson wetness still clinging to her claws, Ayame shot a murderous glance back at the mangled wolf she'd left behind. "Now I've got his stench all over me. I outta go back and gut him just for that."

Grin still firmly in place, Inuyasha's eyes widened further as Ayame came closer. Taking in the female wolf, he could easily see Kouga's attraction. Slender and lithe, Ayame looked beautifully feminine, the flower tucked behind a pointed ear adding a touch of softness that was only spoiled by the flecks of blood dancing around the edge of its petals. Gaze glancing back at the still struggling wolf who'd dared touch Ayame's tail, Inuyasha knew that, like so many other youkai, to take the Princess Ayame at face value was a sure fire way to get oneself killed. And yet despite her strength and obvious fiery temperament, Kouga was head over heels in love with this dangerous submissive. Then again, it was probably those very same qualities his friend found so enthralling.

Now standing but a few feet away, Ayame stopped to examine the InuHanyou she'd heard so much about, and to her eyes, he did not disappoint. Shooting Kouga a scolding glance, Ayame smiled brightly, the carnage she'd just caused but a distant memory. "Since some youkai have got no manners, I guess I'll introduce myself." Hands clasped in front of her, Ayame bowed from the waist, earning hushed gasps and whispers from appalled clansmen. "I am Princess Ayame, of the Mountain Wolf Tribe and I am very pleased to finally make your acquaintance."

Stunned beyond belief, Inuyasha stood with his mouth agape. Narrowing his eyes, the hanyou tried to discern whether or not he was being made fun of, but there was no lie in either Ayame's voice or actions. As difficult as it was to believe, the she-wolf was being sincere. "Ah . . . it's nice to meet you too, but you don't gotta bow and all that shit for me."

Rising to full height, Ayame only smiled. "On the contrary, it is my understanding that you were responsible for saving two wolf cubs many years ago. Such actions are noble and in my eyes, you will always be a friend of the wolves."

Eyes still fixed upon Ayame, Inuyasha failed to see the look of deep love and affection radiating from Kouga's eyes. In the wolf prince's heart there could be no other mate for him. Ayame was perfection and her current actions more than proved he'd chosen the right mate for the future he planned on leading the wolves into. Unfortunately, many of those same wolves would need to be dragged into that future kicking and screaming.

"Princess Ayame! You disgrace yourself by bowing to such a lowly creature."

Far from surprised and more than used to such words, Inuyasha's eyelids barely lowered. However, Ayame was a different matter. Facing the she-wolf, Inuyasha watched a frigid coldness seep deep within her previously alight eyes. Muscles tight with strain, Ayame's visible anger lasted but a brief moment before schooling her face, leaving only her glinting eyes as any indication at how rightly pissed she was. Smiling sweetly, Ayame gave a kind, "This will only take a minute," before turning and walking back towards the group of wolf youkai behind her, many of them giving Inuyasha loathing looks.

Watching Ayame walk away, Inuyasha felt Kouga lean a little closer while whispering, "Even after seein' what she just did, those fucker's were dumb enough to spout off about stupid shit. Idiots, all of 'em. Whatever she does, they deserve it and more."

Ear twitching down, Inuyasha's eyes drifted in Kouga's direction. Having never fully understood why Kouga continued to hang around him, Ayame's response was equally lost upon the hanyou. "But they're her clan. Besides, the wolf cubs she was talkin' about weren't even from her tribe."

"Even more reason to straighten 'em out," Kouga grunted. "She's the Heir of the Mountain Wolf Tribe and when we mate, we are gonna combine both our tribes into somethin' bigger and better. As leaders, it's our job to nip that shit in the ass."

"That's assumin' she mates your sorry ass, Kouga, 'cause I gotta tell ya, from what I've seen, I think she might be to good for ya."

To Inuyasha's surprise, Kouga let out a heavy sigh while nodding, "You might be right there, mutt, but knowin' how amazin' Ayame is keeps me pushin' myself so that one day I might actually be worthy of her. Still, she'll be my mate 'cause there ain't no other that'll do for me."

Finally feeling like he understood, Inuyasha turned his attention to the deceptively calm and rational she-wolf in the distance, her back once more turned to the hanyou. Straining his ears forward, no matter how hard he tried, Inuyasha couldn't hear Ayame's conversation, but the paling face of the wolf she was speaking with seemed to tell the bulk of the story.

Whistling low, Kouga shook his head. "They're in even more trouble than I thought."

"-Keh, she's just talkin'."

"Exactly. The only thing sharper than Ayame's claws is her tongue."

No more had Kouga spoken than Inuyasha watched Ayame's hand come up, only to pat the wolf's cheek she was speaking with. If not for the look of fear emanating from the wolf's eyes, one would have thought the action affectionate. With her work evidently done, Ayame turned and with a light swish of her tail, fairly skipped back to the hanyou. "My deepest apologies for the rudeness of my clan. Suffice to say, such words will not be spoken again."

Claws reaching up, Inuyasha absently scratched behind an ear. "Uh . . . thanks, but you know, it don't really bother me."

"Ah, but it does bother me," Ayame answered with an insidious smile. Without permission or thought, she reached forward, entwining her arm with Inuyasha's as she began leading him away. "Now that such messy business is over, I want to get to know you a little better, 'kay!"

Head twisting around, Inuyasha's eyes were wide with uncertainty as they fairly begged Kouga to come along. Unfortunately for the hanyou, Ayame patted his arm and firmly stated, "Oh no, that mangy excuse for a wolf isn't coming with us. I've heard all I care to hear out of Kouga, so for now, it's just you and me."

With a shrug of his shoulders, all Kouga could do was offer a small wave and a silently mouthed, "Good luck," while watching the youkai he loved drag away his friend. Plopping down, Kouga leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes closed as he sighed. "Might as well get a little rest while I can."

The horizon was barely lit with a deep, magenta glow when Kouga felt Ayame's presence creep closer. Cracking open an eye, he stared up, Ayame's frame lowly lit by what little remaining light there was. Without bothering to stand, Kouga readjusted his tail before asking, "So, what do you think?"

Hands firmly planted on her hips, Ayame turned her face, her eyes staring off at something in the distance. "As much as I hate to admit that you were right about something, I find myself agreeing with you regarding his value."

Eyes closing again, Kouga patted the spot beside him and wasn't surprised that it took Ayame several seconds before acquiescing to his request. "He kind of gets to ya once ya know him."

Picking the wilted flower from behind her ear, Ayame could only nod while twirling the dying petals between her fingers. "I can see that." Blowing out a deep breath, the she-wolf shook her head. "Although he hides it well, there is a lot of pain there and . . . fuck, Kouga, does he have any idea just how powerful he is? He could best most of the dominants I've met, many of them easily."

Human eyes wouldn't have been able to see the small smile stretching across Kouga's lips. "He's never been properly trained, but he's InuHanyou and I've yet to met an InuYoukai that wasn't powerful as all fuck. Even at half, he's somethin' else. It's gonna take one hell of a dominant to be his partner." Frowning, Kouga thought back to earlier in the day. "Speakin' of crazy powerful InuYoukai, did you notice that Sesshomaru's here again?"

"Hmm . . . oh, yeah, he's kinda hard to miss."

Feeling the prick of jealousy, Kouga's muscles tightened. "He may have it in the power category, but Sesshomaru's an ice cold prick, Ayame."

Laughing softly, Ayame reached out a hand, her dangerous claws gently raking back a piece of hair that had fallen out of Kouga's tie. "You have nothing to fear regarding the Prince of the West."

"I don't fear that bastard."

Realizing she'd just carelessly wounded Kouga's pride, Ayame rubbed her hand down Kouga's neck. "Forgive my choice of words, I only meant to say that I have no interest in the Western Lands, nor the dogs that rule over them."

Growling low, Kouga basked in the rare moment of tenderness Ayame was displaying. And, although he was pleased to know the one he loved could care less about that bastard, Kouga still had another worry. "Earlier today, Sesshomaru saw Inuyasha."

"So?"

Sitting up straighter, Kouga felt the loss of Ayame's hand as she pulled it away. "You didn't see the look on his face. When he saw Inuyasha . . . damn, I don't know how to describe it, but you know what the jackass is like. He never shows interest in anything, and if he does, then that thing is normally short lived."

Swallowing hard, Ayame still didn't fully understand, "I don't – "

"Damn it, Ayame!" Frustrated, Kouga placed his head in his hands. "I don't think the InuYoukai of the West had any idea Inuyasha was even alive until today. I don't . . . I mean, what if they react like our tribes have – like damn near every other pure blooded youkai out there."

"You don't mean – "

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. I pestered Inuyasha into comin' to this damn thing because I honestly hoped he'd find a mate, but what if I've just led him to his death? Now that they know he exists, what if they . . . what if they won't tolerate it?"

Moving quickly, Ayame knelt before Kouga as she gently pulled his hands from his face. "You would never allow such a thing to happen."

"Shit, Ayame. It's not like I wouldn't fight to keep him safe, but – "

"There are no buts here. Do you believe, even for an instant, that I would entertain mating a dominant I felt incapable of helping protect my future cubs and me? Do you believe me to be so weak as to accept anyone less?" Sitting back on her heels, Ayame huffed while using a clawed finger to push a strand of hair behind a pointed ear. "Really, Kouga . . . I'm disappointed."

Hearing the low, grumbling growl emitting from Kouga's chest placed a smile of triumph upon Ayame's lips.

"If that bastard so much as touches a hair on the mutt's head . . . I'll kick his ass all the way back to the West, and that goes for any other InuYoukai trash." Eyes flashing a brief red, in that instance, Kouga more than felt up to the challenge.

Leaning back in, Ayame briefly licked a small line up Kouga's jaw. "Just don't hog all the action for yourself, 'cause I kinda like the puppy too."

Pushing off the ground, Kouga tackled Ayame to the ground, making the she-wolf giggle with pleasure as he sniffed her offered neck. "Damn, you know I think there's nothin' sexier than your claws drenched in our enemies' blood."

Deep inside, Ayame felt her youkai roll with pleasure. She'd had a number of suitors over the years and none could ever come close to comparing to the wolf currently pinning her to the ground. In fact, had it been any other who'd tried such a bold move; chances were fairly good their blood would already be staining the ground. But Kouga was worthy of such a position. Just like her, the wolf prince was strong, loyal and stubborn beyond belief and just like her, he sought out the same qualities in a mate. With him, Ayame would never need to be anything less than what she was and Kouga would love her all the more for it.

But even with all this in mind, Ayame wasn't about to make things easy for the one she'd already chosen as her mate and she'd already stroked Kouga's ego enough for one evening. Feeling Kouga's chest beginning to press down on her own, Ayame growled soft but dangerous, "If you value your manhood, then I suggest you get the fuck off me before the blood coating my claws reeks of your scent."

Grin almost feral, Kouga pushed up onto his hands and knees, fully taking his weight off the feisty wolf below him. "Always threatenin' the boys," Kouga smirked, one hand reaching down to lewdly cup his balls. "One might start to think you have an unusual fascination with my cock."

Giving her own malicious smile, Ayame's clawed hand shot forward, covering Kouga's hand and squeezing painfully. "And, given how careless you are with your cock, one might think you were asking for it to be removed."

Gasping out in pain, Kouga was near panting. "Okay! Okay! I got it! Just let go and I'll get off."

Releasing her iron grip, Ayame leaned up and gave a quick peck on Kouga's nose before rolling free. Giving a single glance back, Ayame's tail flicked suggestively as she strolled away. Still on the ground and leaning once more against the tree, Kouga briefly looked down to inspect his most prized possession. Seeing that everything was as it should be, the wolf prince gave a small bark of laughter, his eyes glazed with lust and desire as he murmured into the night air, "What a woman."

::::::::::

 _The following morning . . ._

Clinging to the far side of a large, open field, Inuyasha looked ready to kill something and soon. Littered about were groups of youkai mingling with each other. Many of the groups stuck to their own kind, but there was a lot of intermingling going on between different types of youkai. But, in each and ever instance, one thing was blaringly clear, Inuyasha was the only hanyou at this party.

Flicking an ear as an annoying fly hovered nearby, Inuyasha crossed his arms, his hands deeply covered by the sleeves of his firerat. He'd wondered if there would be any other half-breeds at this shindig, and although he hadn't thought there would be many, he had hoped not to be the only one. It could be that they'd been smarter than him and stayed away, but an even likelier answer was that there just weren't that many others out there. Hanyou births were rare and even rarer was for one of them to live to adulthood. Many died at birth or were killed, but of those that survived those first few days to months, few lasted much longer. Never before had such a thought made Inuyasha feel as lonely as it did in that moment.

Amber eyes swiveling, Inuyasha's frown deepened as his attention was once more pulled towards the towering, pristine figure of the Prince of the West, Sesshomaru. Across the large field, it looked like the InuYoukai had been trying to do as Inuyasha and stick to the fringes of this particular Gathering, but he was having no luck. Unlike the hanyou, youkai actually sought out Sesshomaru and to Inuyasha's untrained eyes, it appeared as if the InuYoukai was holding a makeshift kind of court.

Tilting his head to the side, one of Inuyasha's ears twitched again as he studied the pure Inu. Although Sesshomaru seemed to have polite indifference permanently plastered across his face, even from this distance, the hanyou could tell the prince was irritated and the simple fact that even a youkai of Sesshomaru's caliber had to put up with this shit brought a small smile to Inuyasha's face.

Unfortunately, that good humor was quickly erased as the other group who'd stolen his attention did so once more. Head stationary, Inuyasha's eyes slid to the side where a clan of bear youkai had gathered. This group hadn't been as easy to ignore, mostly because there was a rather large, pompous bear youkai who kept pestering a smaller female.

Unlike the Prince of the West, the displeasure the smaller submissive felt regarding the intrusive dominant male was obvious. Every time the enormous male would lean in, she'd lean just as far back, her eyes caught somewhere between fear and disgust. What made the whole thing even more irritating to the hanyou were the responses of the other bear youkai around her, which was a lot of nothing. Oh sure, she got more than a few sympathetic glances sent her way, but none of them did a damn thing to help. In fact, if Inuyasha wasn't mistaken, many were actually encouraging her to warm up to the jackass looming over her.

Hearing the large bear laugh out loud at something or other, Inuyasha finally pulled his eyes away while giving a quiet huff of discontent and confusion. If he'd been in that female bear youkai's position, he'd of already wiped the floor with that pompous bastard. Still, it wasn't his business and once more, Inuyasha's gaze swept over to where Sesshomaru stood, only this time, he found those wondrous, molten gold iris's staring back at him, their look pinning him against his tree as air came in quicker and quicker pants.

Trapped, Inuyasha simply couldn't pull his eyes away and it wasn't until he felt a painful flick against one of his ears that he finally came out of his stupor to find a grinning Kouga bouncing beside him. Flustered that he'd been caught openly staring at the InuYoukai and more than a little irritated that the damn wolf had actually touched his highly sensitive ears, Inuyasha growled, "What the fuck was that about?"

Eyes rolling, Kouga huffed, "Always so damn sensitive about those ears of yours."

"Yeah? Well, when you've got two big ears stickin' outta your head you let me know how it feels when some jackass comes up and jabs at 'em." Eyes immediately shooting down to his feet, Inuyasha unconsciously flattened those same ears deep into the strands of his thick, silvery-white hair.

Although many would have seen Kouga's actions as thoughtless and careless, he'd actually done it on purpose. What Inuyasha didn't know was that Kouga had actually been standing beside him for several minutes, trying in vain to get the hanyou's attention and more than a little disturbed to find what had so fully captured his friend's unmitigated gaze. Knowing how sensitive his friend's ears were, Kouga had aimed precisely and scored victory on the first shot. Inuyasha being pissy and irritated was just an unwelcome side effect.

And, with his friend now preoccupied staring at his own toes, Kouga let his eyes lift to where Sesshomaru stood, the InuYoukai looking distinctly pissed about something as Sesshomaru's eyes stayed trained on their position. Despite the tingling fear Kouga's own sense of self-preservation sent racing through his body, the wolf held that malicious gaze, sending one of his own in answer.

Seconds later, it appeared as if Sesshomaru's attention was taken by the strangely dressed youkai beside him, a youkai Kouga had seen earlier and been just as baffled then by the odd human monk robes the male wore. At first, he'd thought the odd youkai was actually a human monk, but Kouga's nose was never wrong and although he couldn't quite peg what kind of youkai he was, the wolf was certain that the creature covered in monk's clothing was no human.

Even though Sesshomaru had been the one to look away first, Kouga held no illusions that it had anything to do with the evil glare he was giving. In fact, he would probably need to seek out that strangely dressed youkai later and thank him for diverting the InuYoukai's attention away from him.

Thinking about that weird, monk clothed youkai, Kouga didn't hear what Inuyasha asked and barely even noted his friend was talking at all. "What was that?"

"-Keh, you're the one buggin' me and now you ain't even listenin'."

Holding his hands up in a placating way, Kouga smiled, "So sorry. Now, what was it you were askin'?"

Mumbling a, "Stupid wolf," under his breath, Inuyasha finally asked, "how come you ain't with Ayame?"

"Oh, I was but I didn't see you anywhere so I thought I'd come and check on you."

Curling up a lip, Inuyasha didn't like the mangy wolf thinking he needed watching out for. "As if I need you keepin' tabs on me. I don't really see why you're so preoccupied with me when Ayame is around and more than likely bein' courted by other youkai while you're away."

With the side of his mouth quirking up, Kouga gave a rather vicious looking smile. "Let 'em. If there's one thing I know about my woman, it's that nothin' irritates Ayame more than a grovelin' dominant. Fuck, she really can't stand a grovelin' submissive either, probably why she likes you so much."

Fighting an odd, faint blush at the thought that a youkai like Ayame would actually like hanging around with him, Inuyasha grumbled, "Well, at least now I know that she's just as crazy as you." Eyes drifting toward the female bear youkai still being coerced by the larger dominant, Inuyasha thought over Kouga's words and knew Ayame wouldn't stand that kind of treatment either. Nodding his head in the direction of the bears, Inuyasha asked, "Hey, fleabag, you got any idea as to why all of them are just standin' around while that female's obviously bein' harassed?"

Following Inuyasha's sight line, Kouga let a few choice curses slip from his lips before growling low. "Yeah, unfortunately. That brute over there is Jakotem, supposedly one of the strongest of the Mountain Bear Tribe. The smaller, submissive female he's slobberin' all over is the daughter of the ruler of that tribe, I think her name's Kitanya but I ain't sure. Anyways, from what little I've heard, Jakotem's been after her for years and she's finally come of age. I guess it's pretty damn clear Kitanya don't want nothin' to do with him, but her father thinks Jakotem is strong and will produce good cubs. Evidently her father and the ruling council believe that's more important than what Kitanya wants."

Amber eyes blown wide, Inuyasha snarled, "You mean she's gonna have to mate with that idiot?"

"Unfortunately. Her only chance would be during the Reckoning." Shaking his head, Kouga added a quiet, "Waste of a good female if you ask me."

"The Reckoning? What the fuck's that?"

"Mostly it's just a formality, but sometimes there's some pretty good action. Basically, it's a chance to dispute a proposed mating. But it's a fight and the submissive has to have an advocate, or Champion, willin' to fight the dominant who wants to mate with them."

"Well then, she's still got a shot."

But Kouga only shook his head. "Not likely. This is bear business and none of the other tribes will be willin' to get involved and it's pretty damn obvious the bears are fine with the matin'."

"For all their blusterin' that youkai are better than humans, they sure do a lot of the same stupid shit." More than once, he'd seen or heard about humans and arranged bonding's, especially in what they considered royalty. As a small child, Inuyasha had to listen to his human grandfather berate and rail at his poor mother about the disgrace she'd brought to them, not only for having a half-breed child, but for allowing herself to be so corrupted that they were no longer able to use her in a political marriage.

Eyes glazing over, Inuyasha could clearly see the patient and kind face of his mother, Izayoi as she gently washed the blood from his face, yet another tear of flesh that needed tending. Sitting there, feeling as if he were at fault for all his mother's woes, Izayoi had only smiled and told him that his birth had saved her from a loveless life, that she would always be grateful for his life and the joy he brought into her own.

Memories of his mother were always a double-edged sword for the hanyou for they were at once comforting and painful. Izayoi had passed from the world far too young, even for a human, and he'd been left with only the memory of her easy voice, gentle hands, and soothing scent.

With visions of Izayoi filtering unbidden through his mind, Inuyasha failed to notice the strangely dressed youkai now standing but a few feet from he and his friend. Amber eyes widening at the sight of human monk's clothing draped across what appeared to be some type of full fledged youkai as well as the staff commonly carried by those very same humans. Openly staring, Inuyasha bluntly asked, "What the fuck are you supposed to be?"

 _Kind of an abrupt ending to the chapter, but this was one of those that didn't have a good place to cut it off. Just as Miroku promised Sesshomaru, he's on a mission to find the Heir of the West a worthy mate and he knows where to start :-) We also got a brief introduction to a couple of new characters and I hope everyone enjoyed Ayame. I love that she small but mighty and thinks for herself. Just as Kouga said, "What a woman!"_

 _Hope you all enjoyed the extra chapter this week. Chapter 5 should be up on Sunday. Again, thank you to all that reviewed. They are much appreciated and generally make me smile._

 _lunamist_


	5. Chapter 5

_Good Sunday evening to you all. I'm glad so many of you liked the extra chapter this week. I also like that so many of you are trying to figure out what is going to happen next. Most seemed to like Ayame. I really wanted to portray her as strong to help show that being submissive doesn't equal weak, or at least it doesn't have to. Most of you are also rather curious as to what role those pesky bears are going to play. Well, this chapter gives you more of that and will hopefully get all of your creative juices flowing. We also have several people who are curious about Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's familial relationship as well as whom Inuyasha's sire was/is. Some have already guessed it, but let me just say bigger hints are on the way, but perhaps not so much in this chapter. Lets just say that Miroku is going to be on the case very soon :-)_

 _Not much else for this evening. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who've reviewed. I'm glad you are coming along for this rather lengthy journey._

 _Now, on with Chapter 5 . . ._

Ever observant, Miroku more than took note of Sesshomaru's earlier reaction, so very much like the first time his prince had laid eyes upon the InuHanyou. Although cautiously encouraged by Sesshomaru's interest, Miroku was also wary and there were far too many unknowns about the newest member of the Inu tribe. Handling the InuYoukai's interest would be tenuous at best and Miroku needed to know if the hanyou was worth the massive amounts of effort he was, no doubt, going to have to go through, not to mention the obvious risks to his own health when dealing with a disgruntled Sesshomaru.

Given Sesshomaru's ever growing irritation with the surrounding youkai all vying for attention, Miroku didn't have to wait long before the InuYoukai simply walked away from those surrounding him – no excuse or farewell muttered from his toxic lips. Hiding a smile, Miroku had diplomatically excused both he and his prince from the gathered group and instantly headed across the field towards the InuHanyou and his wolf associate.

As with many powerful youkai, Miroku kept his own strength carefully subdued and masked at almost all times and coming from downwind of the two canine youkai, he wasn't surprised they didn't notice his easy presence until he'd managed to come quite close. What did surprise him was the brutally blunt question posed to him by the very hanyou he'd come to assess. Having spent the better part of the last two hours playing youkai politics, Miroku found the hanyou's straight forwardness refreshing. Giving a kind, and genuine smile, Miroku ignored the sniggering wolf as he answered, "Pardon my intrusion. My name is Miroku and I serve the Lord of the West."

Grunting, Inuyasha leaned forward, his nose twitching as he pulled in more of Miroku's scent. Completely unsatisfied and even more confused, the hanyou leaned back while crossing his arms over his chest and once more burying his hands inside the sleeves of his firerat. "That's great and all, but I didn't ask who you are, but what you are." Ears swiveling back, Inuyasha kept his eyes on this newest youkai while asking, "Hey, dogbreath, you've been around more pure-blooded assholes than me, you know what this scent is?"

Moving forwards to stand shoulder to shoulder with his friend, Kouga could only shake his head. "Not a clue. Can't say I've ever smelled anything like him before."

Cataloging everything, Miroku was becoming more encouraged by the moment. He'd purposefully not answered the hanyou's question correctly to see how he would respond. Having brought up the Lord of the West, most youkai would have backed down and begun groveling at having been so rude earlier, but this one did not. In fact, throwing out whom he served had garnered him little to no response. Covered hand still gripping his staff, Miroku bowed slightly, that pleasant smile never once slipping from his lips. "Once again, I ask pardon." Straightening, he then looked to the wolf he knew to be Prince Kouga and then to the hanyou. "I would be surprised if Prince Kouga had ever scented any of my ilk before, for as far as it is known, I am the only one of my kind to have stabilized long enough in this particular dimension."

Scrunching up his eyebrows in confusion, Inuyasha was just about to ask what in the world Miroku was talking about when Kouga suddenly pushed him out of the way - tail wagging with excitement. "Gods above . . . I'd heard there was one out there, but I didn't believe it."

More irritated than confused, Inuyasha asked, "One what? What's so damn special about this weirdo?"

Turning, Kouga's blue eyes shone like a child with a new toy. Throwing a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of Miroku, Kouga bounced on the balls of his feet. "Mutt, this _weirdo_ is a dimensional youkai."

"A what?"

Ignoring Inuyasha, Kouga stepped forward, his eyes scanning up and down all along Miroku's robes, his staff, and finally to his cursed hand. Pointing at the beads threaded around the affected hand, Kouga asked, "Is that it?"

As he nodded his head, Miroku heard Inuyasha grunt, "Is what it?"

Still ignoring the hanyou, Kouga's gaze focused in on the seemingly innocent hand. "How do you keep it from sucking you in? I mean, isn't that the problem dimensional youkai have. How did you beat it?"

Having had enough, Inuyasha grabbed Kouga's arm, jerking the wolf back as the hanyou's amber eyes glanced from one youkai to another before settling back on Kouga. "Tell me what's got you some damn fired up."

Opening his mouth, Kouga was stopped by Miroku as he answered, "If you would allow me . . . before I explain myself, might I have your name? I have no wish to simply refer to you as hanyou."

Blinking once, Inuyasha felt a small blush rise to his cheeks. Besides Kaede and Kouga, no one had ever had any interest in learning his name. Calling him hanyou, half-breed, or a dozen of any other more derogatory names seemed to suit others just fine. Embarrassed that he was in fact, embarrassed, Inuyasha rubbed a clawed finger under his nose while mumbling out a quiet, "Inuyasha. That's what my mom called me anyways."

Clearly noting that Inuyasha had mentioned his mother but not his father in that statement, Miroku pressed, "And your father, did he have a different name for you?"

"Who knows," Inuyasha shrugged. "Now that I answered your question, it's time you answered mine."

"Ah, so it is." Switching his staff to his unaffected hand, Miroku brought the cloth and bead covered palm up, clenching his hand into a loose fist before releasing his fingers. "Of course, the story is long and immensely entertaining, but due to time constraints, in the simplest of terms, when I was a freshly born babe, a group of human monks found me and through their kindness and skill, they managed to contain the Wind Tunnel held within the palm of my hand. It is this tunnel that transports dimensional youkai. With it safely covered, I am able to stay within this dimension."

"-Keh, I guess ya liked the wardrobe."

Smile growing wider, Miroku nodded. "Indeed, a monk's robes are quite a bit more comfortable than the stuffy kimonos and armor worn by many of the Western Lands." Grabbing the robes in one hand, Miroku pulled on the fabric, letting it flap around his body with ease. "And, it has good ventilation."

Standing there listening, Kouga had a ton of questions he wanted to ask and knew his father and the elders of his tribe would be shitting in their furs to have a chance like this. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas as one of his kin came running up to him, tripping over a rock in his haste. "Prince Kouga!"

Grunting a cursed, "Gods above," Kouga looked far from pleased. "Damn-it Ginta, what the fuck is so damn important that you gotta trip over shit and scream my name?"

Casting a cautious glance at the company his prince was keeping, Ginta quickly bowed, his breath coming in harsh gasps. "I-I'm s . . . sorry, but you said . . . you wanted to know if Bolovo showed up and – "

"Fuckin' hell."

Having no memory of the name, Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at his friend. "Who's that and why's he got your furs in a bunch?"

Throwing a quick glance back at both the hanyou and Miroku, Kouga could see by the small flicker in Miroku's eyes that he at least recognized the name. The fact that Inuyasha had no idea who Bolovo was wasn't a mistake and Kouga only wished it had stayed that way. To avoid more questions, Kouga walked over to Ginta, throwing an arm around the wolf, a large grin splitting his face. "Just some wanna-be suitor after Ayame's tail."

Furry ears flicking, Inuyasha wasn't sure he believed Kouga, but he figured it was wolf business and didn't have much to do with him anyways. "Whatever. Just don't get yourself killed tryin' to tell Ayame what to do."

"Ahh, muttface, I didn't know ya cared."

Ears flattening, Inuyasha was just about to tell Kouga what was what when Miroku piped in with a casual, "I believe the one known as Ginta is on the verge of passing out."

Jerking back, Kouga only now realized his hold upon the younger wolf was bordering on strangulation. "Hey, Ginta, you okay?"

Coughing, Ginta placed his hands on his knees while hunching over and catching his breath. "O-of c . . . course, Prince Kouga."

Satisfied, Kouga slapped Ginta on the back, nearly toppling him to the ground. "Well then, I better go stake my claim on my woman." No more had those words passed his lips than Kouga was off, running across the field, Ginta staggering behind in a fruitless effort to keep up.

"I admire the wolf's tenacity for the one he desires to mate."

" _Tenacity_? Well, I guess that's one word for it, although, I could think of a few more. Ayame's gonna kick his ass again."

Eyes staring off into the distance, Miroku rubbed the phantom pain of Sango's last slap to his cheek. "I believe Lord Kouga and I may have more in common than I once suspected."

"Well then, I guess that makes you an idiot." Finally smiling himself, Inuyasha thought he kind of liked this weird youkai. But even thinking that, the hanyou had spent the better part of his life assessing risk and danger and when he looked at that bead-covered hand, Inuyasha's smile began to fade. Uncontrolled, Miroku's Wind Tunnel sounded horrible, but if he were able to control it . . . "What happens when those bead thingy's are taken off?"

Lips dropping slightly, Miroku's eyes narrowed in thought. Indeed, this hanyou was looking increasingly promising. Quickly going back to his easy-going façade, Miroku smiled once more. "That, my friend, is something I hope you never need witness."

Swallowing, Inuyasha got the distinct impression Miroku was telling the truth. And so, ignoring the cryptic reply, the hanyou focused in on the rest of the dimensional youkai's response. "Okay, I got it, but just so you know, we ain't friends."

Cocking his head to the side, the rings on Miroku's staff clinked softly. "Is that so? Does that make us enemies then?"

"No," Inuyasha answered with a shake of his head. "At least, not yet. But not bein' enemies is still a far cry from bein' called friend and I'm still left wonderin' why the hell you're even makin' the effort."

And there they were, back to blissful bluntness. "You are a very honest creature, Inuyasha."

"-Keh, I ain't as honest as you seem to think." Looking down and away, Inuyasha couldn't help but see a vision of Kaede's trusting face, the miko believing that he was really going to try and find a mate at this damn thing. Knowing his plan to go back to the village and lie his ass off to the one woman he respected above all others sent a sharp pain deep into his chest.

Eyes focused, Miroku noted how easy it was to read the hanyou's feelings and wondered if Inuyasha was always this unguarded. Figuring out Sesshomaru's thoughts was like trying to analyze a complicated battlefield with only a portion of the necessary facts at ones disposal. "We must all tell falsities at some point in our lives, the fact that yours weighs so heavily upon your soul speaks more loudly than any words could."

Eyes narrowing, Inuyasha quietly observed Miroku. "You some kind of advisor to that lord you serve or what?"

"I am at my lord's service, whatever he might need."

Head lowered, Inuyasha let his bangs cover his eyes. "Well, in case you hadn't noticed, I don't got nothin' to do with the lord you serve, so you can keep your damn opinions to yourself 'cause I ain't interested."

Although his own youkai wasn't as demanding nor restless as the Inu's he served, Miroku's inner beast often let its feelings be known, just more subtly than others. And what his youkai was telling him right now was that in the fairly near future, the hanyou's words would no longer be accurate, for the longer he spent with the young half-breed, the more convinced Miroku became that this, Inuyasha, was a most promising mate for his prince. But for now, he would concede the point. "Your opinion is noted and I apologize, I meant no offense."

Snorting, Inuyasha simply shook his head. "I still don't know why ya care, but just so ya know, it takes a hell of a lot more than that to offend me."

"Ah, well then you are even more refreshing than I originally thought. Seeing as I spend much of my time trying to sooth the pride of many a pampered youkai."

Inuyasha could only shrug his shoulders. "Yeah, those pure-blooded pricks get pissed at the stupidest things." Scratching the back of an ear, Inuyasha added, "That don't mean I don't get mad at shit, but most of the time I'm not truly offended, just . . . irritated." Truly, Inuyasha didn't know why he was being so open with this new youkai, but there just seemed to be something relaxing about Miroku. Perhaps it was the monk robes, or maybe it was just that silly, oddly genuine smile that seemed to constantly ease Miroku's eyes.

Eyes flicking back, Inuyasha sighed deeply. In his experience, nobody – youkai or human - wanted to talk with him for no other reason than simply getting acquainted. That being said, despite how nice Miroku seemed, there had to be an ulterior motive for the dimensional youkai seeking him out. Taking another deep breath, Inuyasha leaned his body back against the trunk of the tree behind him, feeling that familiar comfort trees always seemed to bring him. "Listen, talkin' with you ain't nearly the pain in the ass things like this normally are, but I know there's a reason ya came over. I may never have smelled a dimensional youkai before, but I know submissive scent when I smell it so I know ya don't wanna mate with me so what the fuck do you want?"

Miroku's normal smile turned soft with approval and contemplation. Originally, when he'd decided upon this course of action, he'd thought he'd need to use his abundant repertoire of cunning interrogation skills to learn more about the InuHanyou. However, within a simple matter of minutes, all of what Miroku had thought was thrown away. Inuyasha was one of the rare creatures that responded better to honesty than false courtesy. And, if things went the way he hoped they would, he would be interacting with the hanyou for centuries to come. Given that line of thinking, there was no reason to start such an illustrious relationship off on the wrong foot. With this in mind, Miroku inclined both his head and staff at the tree before stating, "I've been standing for hours, do you mind if we sit and talk?"

In answer, Inuyasha simply dropped to his ass, folding his legs up as he once again crossed his arms. "You seem lazier than that damned wolf."

Taking the invitation for what it was, Miroku walked forward, sighing dramatically as he sat on the ground across from the hanyou, his staff carefully laid upon the soft grass, his beaded hand lightly resting against its worn, wooden surface. "Speaking of Prince Kouga, I must confess that I am curious about your relationship. You are a submissive breeder, and the wolf prince is a clear dominant and yet, from what I heard earlier, it appears as if the wolf prince wishes to mate with the Lady Ayame and seems to have no such interests in you."

Lips pulled back, Inuyasha gave a clear look of disgust at such an idea. "Like hell I'd ever wanna mate with his mangy ass. Dogbreath and I've never been like that." Squirming, Inuyasha knew he thought of Kouga as one of his only friends, but didn't like saying something like that aloud. "As far as I can tell, my relationship with Kouga ain't no business of yours so let's just leave it as this, if you plan on fuckin' with him in any way, shape, or form, you'll not only have the wolf tribe to deal with, but one pissed off half-breed too."

Lifting up his non-cursed hand, Miroku offered the gesture as a sign of peace. "I've no ill intentions towards Prince Kouga, nor you for that matter."

"-Keh," Inuyasha huffed, "we'll see. Now, are you gonna get to the point or what?"

"Ah, yes, well . . . " Miroku had no interest in lying to the pup, but Sesshomaru would flay him alive if he stated his true intentions, not to mention how Inuyasha would react. In short, it was too soon to speak on such matters. Still, he could accomplish what he wanted without lying, he simply wouldn't state all the facts of the matter. "I believe you have noticed that I am here with the Prince of the West, Sesshomaru."

At the mention of Sesshomaru's name, Inuyasha felt his body stiffen with both fear and some type of unrecognizable excitement. Swallowing, the hanyou noted how dry his throat had suddenly become and had to swallow several times before he was able to respond. "Yeah, Kouga told me who he was."

Hearing the slight uptick of the hanyou's heartbeat, Miroku hoped the reaction wasn't simply from fear. "Well, as it turns out, you seem to be something of a surprise to Prince Sesshomaru and to be honest, it has been a very long time since I have seen the prince surprised by anything. It seems as if he was not aware there was an InuHanyou in existence and knowing the relationship between he and his father, I am left to believe that Lord Inu no Taisho is also unaware."

Within an instant, Inuyasha's throat went from dry to arid desert. And in that same instant, the hanyou felt his blood begin rushing through his veins as his amber eyes immediately shot past the youkai sitting before him, all his senses alert and actively seeking out danger. Ears perked and straining for even the slightest sound, Inuyasha pulled in a deep and heavy breath, scenting the area for even the slightest presence of Sesshomaru. Unfortunately, with all the powerful youkai gathered in such a condensed area, his senses were flooded and overwhelmed with too much information.

Seeing the change, Miroku cursed himself for being so tactless. Although he had little idea what the hanyou's life had been like, he was more than aware of the general opinion, both youkai and human, on half-breeds. "Inuyasha, I – "

Pulling his lips back, Inuyasha snarled as his muscles tightened, ready to react to the slightest threat. "So, that's what this is. The jackass Prince of the West ain't happy there's a half-breed with Inu blood in 'em and he sent you to – what exactly? He wanna tell me I ain't got no right be here, to get the fuck away before I embarrass his stuffy ass? Or does he just wanna wipe the filthy half-breed off the fuckin' earth?"

Sighing deeply, Miroku hung his head while pondering his own stupidity. Raising his beaded hand from his staff, the monk heard a deep growl and looked up to see slits of amber staring intently at his cursed hand. Realizing his mistake, Miroku held both hands up before easing them into his lap. "Please, as I said earlier, I have no intention of causing you harm. Truly, you have nothing to fear from me."

"Who said I was afraid of you?"

Blinking once, Miroku took in the hanyou's posture and decided that he had probably just insulted Inuyasha because it didn't really look like the hanyou was frightened of him, more like he was simply readying his body for the fight Inuyasha thought was coming. "Again, I ask pardon. I have no wish to fight, nor does Prince Sesshomaru. I have known and gladly served Lord Inu no Taisho for more centuries than I'd care to admit to and I speak honestly when I say that knowing of your existence will only spark curiosity and a desire to learn more about you. InuYoukai are few in number and he would not wish to harm one with his clan's blood, of this, I am certain."

Easing back only slightly, Inuyasha wasn't at all sure he believed Miroku. Just like humans, youkai lied. They could be just as deceitful and craved power almost as much as the weak humans they espoused to hate so much. Besides, even if the monk was telling the truth, that didn't really sit well with him. Gaining the interest of something even more powerful than what he'd felt coming from Sesshomaru didn't sound like the best way to stay alive. "I don't see how today is any different from last week when he didn't know anything about me. I've been livin' without them all my life. My sire didn't give much of a damn about me or my human mother so as far as I'm concerned, the Inu clan can all collectively go to Hell."

Ignoring the hostility, Miroku focused in on the tidbits of information he'd just gleaned and yet it didn't help him much. Miroku had been around InuYoukai long enough to know that they were a proud, fiercely loyal species. And, what he'd said earlier was true, InuYoukai were few in number. Should a pup be born, half-breed or otherwise, the monk found it difficult to believe one would be abandoned. So, the question remained, exactly who was Inuyasha's sire?

As a general rule, InuYoukai were some of the most powerful youkai alive. Of course, Inu no Taisho and his son, Sesshomaru, were at the top of that list, but that did not mean other Inu's were weak, in fact, it was quite the opposite.

Scratching behind an ear, a thought flashed through Miroku's mind and without thinking, he asked, "Inuyasha, how old are you?"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

Miroku could tell the hanyou was young and that he was most likely just coming of breeding age, but being a half-breed, he wasn't sure if Inuyasha had aged similarly to pure InuYoukai or developed faster due to his human blood. "Please, it is a simple question."

Narrowing his eyes, Inuyasha wasn't quite in _fight or flight_ mode anymore, but he still wasn't relaxed and this latest question hit a particularly raw nerve. It wasn't that he really minded answering, but it was more like he wasn't sure. After his mother died, surviving had been all encompassing. Seasons passed with one running into another. It wasn't until he came to live with Kaede that he actually had any sense of time. And so, Miroku's question wasn't quite as _simple_ as the monk made it out to be.

Shrugging off his mental pain, Inuyasha answered a cryptic, "Old enough."

Irritated and not understanding why the hanyou was being so evasive, Miroku huffed. "You're acting like a woman who's afraid to state their age."

Being a submissive male breeder, Miroku's words hit another nerve dead on. "I ain't no woman!"

"Then stop acting like one."

Gritting his teeth hard enough to draw blood, Inuyasha finally spat, "I don't know! Are you happy now?"

Blinking, Miroku's eyes were wide. "You don't know?"

Turning away, Inuyasha pushed his hands even deeper into his sleeves, his claws pressing deep grooves into his arms. "No."

Having been found as a mere babe by a group of monks, Miroku's age had never been in question. And, given his ensuing life and the fact that youkai births were generally celebrated events, he'd never once considered the hanyou before him might actually have no idea as to his own age. Embarrassed, Miroku absentmindedly scratched at his cheek. "Well . . . I . . . "

Inuyasha had always hated pity and he wasn't about to take it from a youkai he'd just met. "It ain't no big deal. I don't see how knowin' my age is all that important anyways."

Given the hanyou's scent, it was obvious Inuyasha was old enough to have matured, but beyond that . . . well, the rest was a bit of a mystery. And, in truth, Inuyasha was right in saying it didn't really matter how old he was, except, in a way, it did – just not in ways the hanyou had considered. As for Miroku, he was beginning to formulate a hypothesis as to just who Inuyasha's sire might have been, but knowing the hanyou's age was necessary if he was going to pursue that particular line of investigation. Having no proof beyond the hint of an idea, Miroku saw no need to voice his thoughts on the matter out loud and simply returned to smiling. "Perhaps you are correct. As you say, it really matters not but to my own curiosity."

"Somehow I get the feelin' it ain't just your curiosity that matters here."

"Ah, once again, you are correct. When next I see Lord Inu no Taisho, no doubt he will want to know as much as possible about you."

Feeling ill at ease once more, Inuyasha shifted against the trunk of the large tree. "I still don't see why someone like him would be at all interested in me."

Miroku gave a small shake of his head. "Inuyasha, although I may not understand all your reasoning's, it is clear you are uncomfortable hearing that the Lord of the West will show an interest in you. Indeed, once he learns of your existence, I have little doubt he will insist upon you being brought to the West to meet with him." Seeing the automatic tightening of the hanyou's muscles, Miroku held up a hand. "You can not go back to anonymity, much as you may wish it. I know you've no reason to trust me, but I find it difficult to believe my Lord will mean you harm."

Looking away, Inuyasha stared at the gathered group of bears, his amber eyes seeing nothing. He'd spent almost all of his young life looking after himself, just trying to stay alive. And, although he'd at least had a place to call home these past few decades, the hanyou had always secretly longed for a place he truly belonged – someplace he was wanted and not just tolerated. But experience had long ago taught him that there was no real home for a half-breed like him and thinking the powerful Lord of the West would be any different was a fantasy he could not afford to indulge in.

Not liking the oddly pained look filling the hanyou's eyes, Miroku softly stated, "Inuyasha, I – " but before he could get much further, he was interrupted by a loud commotion erupting behind him, a commotion that instantly changed Inuyasha's look of pain to one of deep annoyance.

"God's be damned fuckin' idiots," Inuyasha growled.

Glancing behind him, Miroku noted the (admittedly) annoying group of raucous bears had moved closer during his conversation with the hanyou. In the past, Miroku had found bear youkai to be stoic and reserved. Being overly large creatures, normally their sheer size was enough to intimidate others into submission, thus making the behavior he was currently witnessing, odd. "Bit of a noisy bunch today." Narrowing his eyes, Miroku looked closer, only to find that most of the gathered bears looked uncomfortable, their eyes warily watching the largest and most obnoxious of the group, a bear known as Jakotum.

Refusing to move, even though his own space was slowly being encroached upon, Miroku turned his attention back to the hanyou, noting Inuyasha's hands were once more stuffed deep within the sleeves of his . . . wait a minute, "Is that the fur of a firerat youkai?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Eyes alight with interest, Miroku couldn't help but ask, "May I touch it?"

Slightly surprised, Inuyasha wasn't sure he wanted the dimensional youkai that close to him, not to mention the fact that he didn't really see what the big deal was. Ear twitching; he tilted his head to the side in contemplation. "Why?"

"I have only had the opportunity to witness one from far away as it was too dangerous to move closer. Few have ever come close enough to actually touch a firerat and lived to speak of it."

"Oh, well . . . okay then."

Going up on his knees, Miroku slowly leaned forward so as not to startle the skittish hanyou, his own clawed fingers rubbing over the oddly soft fur before settling back into his original sitting position. "Amazing. Is it true the fur cleans itself?"

Lifting up a sleeve, Inuyasha gazed at the fabric. "Yeah, pretty useful actually."

"And fire? Does it protect against that as well?"

"That and it makes a pretty good barrier against miasma." Fingering the fabric, Inuyasha absently ran the pad of his thumb over a spot that had recently been torn, not a trace of the previous damage still visible. "Mends itself too."

Truly, the garment was a marvel and Miroku was kicking himself for not noticing earlier. Laughing lightly, he looked down at his own robes. "And you think my choice of clothing is interesting."

"-Keh."

"May I inquire as to how you came across such interesting clothes?"

With another shrug of his shoulders, Inuyasha simply answered, "I made it from the firerat youkai I killed."

Rarely speechless, Miroku blinked once, his mouth open to ask just how he'd managed that when cruel laughter suddenly erupted behind him, a deep and arrogant voice scoffing, "The firerat you killed? And here I'd always assumed half-breeds to merely be weak creatures, who knew they were liars as well."

In front of him, Miroku heard a low growl and quickly looked up to find Inuyasha standing, his lips curled back, fangs glinting. "Say that again, jackass."

Miroku gave a deep sigh before standing himself. His earlier thoughts regarding the hanyou were dead on – Inuyasha was a terribly honest being and to be called a liar was bound to rile up the already testy InuHanyou. Whether he knew it or not, Inuyasha had certainly inherited one of the most potent Inu traits there was – pride. "If I may – "

"Stay outta this, monk."

"Inuyasha, I merely thought – "

"I don't remember askin' for your help and I sure as hell don't need it for trash like this." Still not taking his eyes off the bear youkai in front of him, Inuyasha felt his muscles tense. Normally, Inuyasha's sense of self preservation was a little more pronounced than it was right at this moment, but he'd been watching Jakotem harass that smaller submissive all afternoon and hearing Kouga's explanation had done little to cool his ire. In fact, hearing Kitanya would have to mate with this brute simply because she wasn't strong enough to fight and no one that was from her own tribe would interfere had struck deep at the heart of one of the hanyou's deepest fears – that one day, he'd be forced to do the same thing.

Having to fight since childhood simply to survive, Inuyasha was strong, but more than that, he had a determination of will that was not easily beaten. Deep in his heart, the hanyou knew that he would fight until death claimed him to avoid such a fate as the one awaiting Kitanya and he would not go into Death's waiting arms willingly. Amber eyes shifting to Kitanya's glassy, wide brown ones, Inuyasha felt a whole new level of disgust rage up within his soul. Disgust that she didn't fight harder for her freedom and yet an even deeper level of betrayal that she was placed into a situation that she would need to do so. To the InuHanyou, taking advantage of those that were weaker was lower than low.

Laughter all but stopped, Jakotem's eyes narrowed. "I know I must have heard wrong, half-breed. Surely something as disgraceful as you did not just call me trash."

"-Keh, of course not. It wasn't just you I was callin' trash, but all the other idiots fawnin' all over a no account like you." Letting his amber eyes fall on each and every set of eyes, Inuyasha stared all the bear youkai down. "If this is the best the bear youkai have, then you guys got a hell of a lot more problems than somethin' a half-breed like me says."

Muscles tense, Miroku looked from the hanyou to the group of gathered bears, all the while wondering just what he would do should Inuyasha be attacked. On the one hand, he couldn't help but be awed and impressed by Inuyasha's assessment of the situation as well as his unabashed honesty. Outnumbered and alone, the hanyou had never once indicated an ounce of fear. Hand gripping his staff tightly, Miroku felt the beads covering his cursed hand dig deeply into his palm. It was, of course, a last resort, but the more he heard and saw of Inuyasha, the more convinced Miroku became that this was indeed the mate not only his prince needed, but a ruler the monk would gladly follow and protect.

At the hanyou's words, Jakotem could fairly feel the steam roll from his ears. "You stand there and tell obvious lies about where that piece of fur you're wearing came from and you dare insult me?"

"That's the second time you've called me a liar," Inyasha answered, the clawed tip of a finger pointing dangerously in Jakotem's direction. "There's a lot of shit you can call me that's true and you can be as nasty as you wanna be when you say it, but don't you dare accuse me of sayin' somethin' that ain't true."

With all the humor completely gone from Jakotem's face, the bear looked at Inuyasha, his eyes calculating before a smirk tilted his lips. "Well then, if that's the case, then I guess you won't mind doing it again."

"Doin' what again?"

"If what you say is true . . . then you can do it again, this time, with witnesses. I know for a fact there is a clan of firerat just over the Eastern Mountains. Once the Gathering is over, we could all go there and you can prove your claim." Evidently pleased with his solution and the humiliation Jakotem was sure it would bring the hanyou, he leaned back on his heels, clapping a hand on the back of one of his _friends_ at his seemingly clever response.

But Jakotem's smile faded when he heard Inuyasha scoff. "Why the fuck would I wanna do that? The firerat I'm wearin' attacked me and so I killed it. I ain't gonna go into their home and kill one just to prove somethin' to a youkai I don't give two shits about. That's dumb and wasteful." Shaking his head, Inuyasha looked over to Miroku, ignoring Jakotem's gaping mouth. "Can you believe they're all chompin' at the bit to follow this dumbass? They're even willin' to give over their most prized submissive just to make him happy."

Hearing Jakotem's growl, Inuyasha turned, his amber eyes narrowed. "Listen, I don't give a damn about your opinion. I know what I did and what I can do and that's enough so I don't got nothin' to prove to you or anyone else. I've been around long enough to know that nothin' I do will ever erase the fact that I'm a half-breed in your eyes and to be truthful, the only thing these past few minutes have proven to me is that you and your weak-ass groupies ain't worth the last few words I've spoken, let alone anything else."

Furious, Jakotem wanted nothing more than to rip into the hanyou before him, and before he knew it, his youkai energy was spilling across the lawn while his canines sharpened. Halfway to transforming, Jakotem felt a hand on his arm and the words of one of his companions. "He's a submissive. You'll be thrown out of the Gathering and not allowed to mate Lady Kitanya if you attack him."

Hearing that, Inuyasha almost wished Jakotem had jumped him.

Pulling his youkai back, Jakotem closed his eyes until he'd regained control. "You're lucky there are rules at this place, half-breed, otherwise I'd gut you where you stand."

"-Keh, you could try."

Growling low, Jakotem was beginning to think Kitanya wasn't worth it and was ready to give into the bloodlust pulsing through his veins.

Seeing the growing anger, Miroku wasn't sure the other bears would be able to pull Jakotem back from the ledge he'd so neatly perched himself upon and took the opportunity to intervene in the best way he could think of. "Inuyasha, as interesting as this is, I'm afraid I must be getting back to Prince Sesshomaru as I'm sure he's begun to miss my presence." The hanyou might be honest, but that certainly didn't mean Miroku was.

As predicted, Inuyasha barely acknowledged the statement, but it wasn't the hanyou's attention Miroku had been vying for.

"Prince Sesshomaru? You're here with the Heir of the West?" These words had not fallen from Jakotem's mouth, but Kitanya's.

Smiling brightly, Miroku scratched the back of his head. "Lord Inu no Taisho thought I might be of some assistance at this year's Gathering." Throwing in the Lord of the West's name had been entirely intentional and Miroku was pleased to see the curiously interested looks many of the elder bear youkai were now throwing between him and Inuyasha. Although a half-breed, Inuyasha was a submissive and had Inu blood running through his veins. Piecing together the intention behind the monk's words was not difficult for the more thoughtful youkai present.

"I've always heard Lord Inu no Taisho to be a wise ruler, so surely there is merit in your presence."

Oh how Miroku wished Sesshomaru was near enough to have heard that last part. "Thank you Lady Kitanya, I will express your regards to my lord when I next see him."

Smiling for what both Miroku and Inuyasha thought might be the first time in perhaps months to years, the gentle upturn of lips lighting Kitanya's face made the submissive bear youkai appear far more beautiful than either had earlier thought. "You are most generous, and please, might I apologize, on behalf of my clan, for any disturbance our group might have caused."

Forgetting his anger at the hanyou in front of him, Jakotem turned on Kitanya, grabbing her arm and yanking her up from the respectful bowing position she'd taken. "Don't you ever apologize for me, especially to scum like them."

Beside him, Miroku heard Inuyasha take in a deep inhale of breath and felt his own ire rise at Jakotem's obvious stupidity. He and the more intelligent bear youkai had just successfully diffused a rather volatile situation and Jakotem was foolishly reigniting the flame. Thankfully, one of the elderly bear youkai intervened before things escalated further. "Jakotem, Lady Kitanya only meant to show the proper respect to the servant of the Lord of the Western Lands. She meant no disrespect to you."

Growling low and harsh, Jakotem sent a look that promised future pain in the direction of the elder bear youkai. "Come on, the stench around here is starting to burn my nose." Grip still bruisingly firm upon Kitanya's arm; Jakotem threw a final gaze in Inuyasha's direction, hiding nothing of how he truly felt towards the hanyou. By contrast, Kitanya's brown eyes were kind and . . . thoughtful.

Watching the retreating backs of so many strong youkai, Miroku finally let his hand relax, his fingers easing off his staff. "Well, I must say, being around you is certainly interesting."

"-Keh," Inuyasha snorted, "that was nothin'."

"Indeed, well then, it seems you lead a rather fascinating life."

"I suppose that's one word for it."

Not missing the sarcasm lacing that statement, Miroku gave a soft smile before his eyes landed on the fading form of Kitanya. "It is a shame though. Although my experience with them is limited, it has always been my impression that bear youkai are a fairly subdued and peaceful lot. Lord Inu no Taisho will not be pleased to hear that they plan to mate the heir of their tribe to someone like Jakotem." Giving a sigh while absent-mindedly scratching his ass, Miroku added, "I'll bet Lord Bellial isn't too happy about it either."

"Lord Bellial?"

Miroku gave a shake of his head, still amazed at how naïve the hanyou seemed to be. "Lord Bellial is the ruler of the Eastern Lands, where the bear youkai you've so handedly seemed to aggravate, dwell."

"Whatever. That Jakotem jackass seems like just about every other purebred youkai I've ever met: pompous and arrogant. The whole lot of 'em think the world should bow down and kiss their toes just 'cause they were born into the _right_ family. They wield whatever power they've got like a constant threat just so they can have the satisfaction of seein' those around 'em squirm. They think that's power. Dumb shits."

"Is it not the definition of power to defeat those around you, to rise above them by such means?"

"No." Turning, Inuyasha stared down at the deep red of his firerat, his eyes thoughtful as he considered the fact that Jakotem had wanted him to hunt down a creature that had done absolutely no harm to him or any other innocent that he knew of, just to prove some stupid damn point. Although it wouldn't be easy, the hanyou had little doubt he could accomplish such a task again, but that didn't mean he should. Firerats weren't some mindless, youkai creatures hunting the innocent. The fur he now wore came from one who'd been consumed by some type of mind-altering sickness. Crazed and violent, it had attacked a village near Kaede's and he'd put the beast out of its misery. Never one to be wasteful, Inuyasha had given the meat to the local village and kept the fur for himself. The story wasn't exciting. It wasn't even heroic or interesting. It simply was what it was and nothing more.

Seeing the hanyou so lost in thought, Miroku leaned deeply upon his staff. With every word Inuyasha spoke, Miroku was even more convinced this was indeed the right path – that he'd somehow managed to stumble upon the rarest of gems. "Inuyasha."

"Yeah?" Inuyasha answered, his head snapping up.

"As I stated earlier, I do need to be getting back to Prince Sesshomaru. But, before I go, might I offer a word of advice?"

Inuyasha only shrugged. "You can offer, but I can't say I'll follow what you gotta say."

"Fair enough." Glancing off in the direction the bear youkai had gone, Miroku's eyes narrowed. "I believe it would be in everyone's best interest if you stayed away from Jakotem." Seeing the hanyou's mouth begin to open in anger, Miroku held up a hand. "It is not that I believe you could not dispatch him on your own, it is only that this is perhaps not the best place to be inviting trouble."

"I still don't see why you give a damn, but if it makes ya feel any better, I got no intention of spendin' any more time around that asshole than I have to."

Smiling brightly, Miroku nodded. "That is good to hear."

"-Keh, I still don't get you."

"Ah, well then, you and Prince Sesshomaru have something more in common than I originally thought." At the mention of Sesshomaru's name, Miroku happily noted the slight pink dusting of color grazing the hanyou's cheeks. "Well, it was nice to meet you. I've little doubt we shall be seeing much more of each other in the future."

Not really understanding why Miroku seemed so hell bent on thinking the Lord of the West would want anything positive to do with his half-breed hide, Inuyasha could only answer, "You sure are an odd one."

"One of a kind, actually," Miroku beamed.

"Yeah? Well, then I guess we got somethin' in common too."

Nodding Miroku fully understood the undertones of sadness lacing the hanyou's comment. Sometimes, being one of a kind was truly a lonely place to be. "I wish you a good day, my new associate and hopefully, a future friend."

With a shake of his head, Inuyasha really did think Miroku was at least a little off kilter. Giving a final, "Whatever, monk," the hanyou took off towards the edge of the Gathering, seeking out the same tree he'd found refuge in these last few nights.

 _Good to see that Miroku is keeping to his word and putting every effort into finding Sesshomaru that perfect mate, now he just has to convince Sesshomaru that Inuyasha is worth a second, third and fourth look (hint, hint for the next chapter :-)_

 _I hope you all have a good week and as always appreciate it when you feel like reviewing. I know many of you want Inuyasha and Sesshomaru to have some type of interaction and soon. We'll get there, but not for a few more chapters. Soon young grasshoppers . . . soon._

 _lunamist_


	6. Chapter 6

_Good evening everyone and although I'm doubtful there are any dads out there reading this (could be wrong, but suspicion that would be a low reader audience), happy Father's Day! For those of you reading in other countries, that's something we celebrate in America. I'm fortunate to still have my dad and he's a great one at that. I'm one of the lucky ones._

 _Anywho . . . Many of you liked Miroku and Inuyasha's little chat last week and are wondering exactly how Miroku is going to sway Sesshomaru . . . well, this week you get your answer. You'll also be getting some pretty big hints as to Inuyasha's parentage and I know several of you have been wondering (some correctly and some not so much) about just who our hanyou's sire is and why Inuyasha himself doesn't know. Most of you are also correctly guessing that those damn bears are going to cause some kind of ruckus. We'll get to that lovely part down the road a little ways, but don't worry, we don't have to travel too far down that road to find out what happens. There's some more important explaining about the general rules of the Gathering coming up. Hope that's not too boring for everyone. It's one of those things that's kind of necessary to the story but may not be very exciting._

 _That's it for my extra input this week. Hope you all like this chapter._

 _Chapter 6 . . ._

It would have taken a youkai of lesser observation and knowledge much longer to find Sesshomaru than it did Miroku. Knowing his prince's desire for peace and solitude, Miroku only had to go to the far western side of the encampment, to a small cliff staring over a deep gorge cut into the landscape centuries before either he or Sesshomaru had been born.

Pristine, tall and unmoving, Sesshomaru stood at the very edge of that cliff, his silvery-white tresses gently swaying with the miniscule breeze coming through the valley. Golden eyes staring out into seemingly nothing, even mokomoko laid calm and unmoving in the dark night.

Quiet and unusually subdued, Miroku came up to stand beside the western prince, keeping his own silence for a few, precious moments before speaking. "An unusually peaceful night, my prince."

Eyes still focused ahead, Sesshomaru inhaled sharply, tasting the scent of InuHanyou that still clung to the monk's clothing. "What business did you have with the half-breed?"

Hiding a smile, Miroku casually shrugged. "Merely curiosity. We both know Lord Inu no Taisho will want more information on him. I believe I was only doing my job as your father's advisor."

Settling back, Miroku shifted his weight, getting his body comfortable for what would undoubtedly be a long night. Usually, if Miroku wanted to speak to the Prince of the West about a topic, he would simply dive in, instigating the course of the conversation with a practiced hand. But, the issue of the InuHanyou needed a decidedly more delicate tact – one that required far more patience and the need for Sesshomaru himself to initiate the conversation. And so, Miroku stood, lids lowered as he tried to find some measure of rest.

Remaining as he was, Sesshomaru silently pondered the oddly quiet monk standing beside him. With each and every breath, Sesshomaru felt an oddly comforting sense of relaxation flood his body as the fading, intoxicating scent of InuHanyou wafted off Miroku. It was both addicting and discomforting to feel such a visceral reaction.

Waiting, Sesshomaru assumed Miroku had sought him out to speak about something in particular, and knowing where the monk had been, Sesshomaru expectantly awaited news of the half-breed – news that did not appear to be forthcoming. Hours passed in this state, the calm effect of the InuHanyou's scent diminishing as the scent faded. Finally, when the first rays of the sun were starting to hint upon the horizon, Sesshomaru could take no more. "You have spoken with the hanyou."

Rousing, Miroku gave an obnoxious yawn while his mind screamed, _thank Buddha_. "I had the pleasure, earlier this evening." Looking to the lightening sky, Miroku amended, "Or rather, last evening."

Expecting more, Sesshomaru's irritation was growing. "You wish me to continue questioning you?"

Muscles suddenly tense, Miroku's senses came fully awake, his mind alert to each and every twitch, every syllable, every slight shift in tone to Sesshomaru's demeanor and voice. Eyes locked towards the horizon, Miroku chose his words carefully. "That would depend."

"On?"

"The reasons behind such questions."

Sesshomaru's voice was like ice. "I am Sesshomaru, Heir of the Western Lands and son of Lord Inu no Taisho. I have no reason to explain myself to you."

Finally turning, Miroku's eyes were sharp with intent, not a hint of their usual mischief present. "As true as that may be, it does not change my opinion on the matter."

With crimson leaking into his golden eyes, Sesshomaru had always known the monk to be obstinate, but Miroku's current actions were bordering upon treasonous. Being at the Gathering had done little to lengthen Sesshomaru's already short fuse and he was fairly certain that if the monk continued on this path of discussion, Sesshomaru would have to explain to his father why they were short one dimensional youkai advisor upon his return.

Forcing himself to calm, Sesshomaru stared coldly down on Miroku. The monk was lecherous and at times, childlike, but he'd never known Miroku to be stupid, certainly not stupid enough to court death over a few poorly chosen words. And, if that were the case, then perhaps the monk's words were not so poorly chosen. "You suddenly believe yourself worthy of such a demand?"

"No," Miroku answered while giving a shake of his head. "It is not I that is worthy, but the InuHanyou."

The words had come as such a surprise that for a fleeting moment, Sesshomaru was unable to keep the reaction from his normally frigid expression. "You would foolishly court death for this half-breed?"

"No, for it is not the hanyou I serve, at least, not yet. I would take such actions because I loyally serve the Western Lands and those that rule over them. And, it is in the interest of the Western Lands that I chose my words and actions."

Silence once more descended upon the cliff, two powerful youkai stone still upon its rocky face as Sesshomaru quietly processed the weight of Miroku's words. "You truly believe him worthy?"

Miroku nodded. "The hanyou is brash, uncultured and naïve."

"Hardly admirable traits."

"Perhaps that is true, but either because or in spite of them, the hanyou is also strong, brave and honest. He does not cower in the face of power, nor does he seek it out. He is brave because he must be, because it is the only way he can be and he is honest because he has no need to lie – at least, not about his intentions. There is no scheming nature that I can find." Smiling, Miroku let loose a small chuckle of mirth. "Oh, he will infuriate you at times, I've no doubt, but there will be nothing behind it that is not out in the open to see. Truly, it was one of the most refreshing conversations I've had in a great many years."

Facing the edge of the cliff once more, Sesshomaru could feel the rising warmth of the sun against his back as he considered the monk's words. Never before had the scent of one singular creature had such an impact on him. As a pup, he'd found comfort and security in the arms and scent of both his mother and father, but it was still nothing to compare to the undeniable pull he'd experienced when he'd first smelled even the faintest hint of the InuHanyou's scent. Although not completely sold on the monk's merit, Sesshomaru did trust his father, and Inu no Taisho valued Miroku's opinion and had asked his son to do the same, especially in this instance.

"And the wolf? Will he be a problem?"

Miroku's muscles eased as he settled back, it looked as if he'd live a bit longer yet. "Prince Kouga seeks the Lady Ayame as mate, not the hanyou. The wolf is protective as a brother or friend might be and I sense a deep-rooted loyalty that I cannot explain. He will no doubt be a factor, but not as competition as a mate."

Should Sesshomaru truly wish to mate with the hanyou, it was important to know who would be potential rivals and the relationship they already held to his intended. Although he had little doubt as to whom would win such a competition, Sesshomaru had no desire to create immediate bad blood should his rival mean something more to the hanyou than originally thought. "Are others in pursuit?"

Lips thinning, Miroku shook his head. "No, at least not in the traditional way. I . . . there was some trouble with the Eastern Bear Tribe. The one they've chosen to mate their heir is foolish and hotheaded. Jakotem wields his strength with the grace of a mindless landslide and treats his intended with a callousness that would even surprise you." Ignoring the quiet growl that comment earned, Miroku continued, "As a hanyou, most can not see past his half-breed pedigree and so most have paid little to no heed, but . . . if one looks carefully, the more powerful youkai here do notice and I do not like the intent they radiate." Shaking his head again, Miroku mumbled, "It is difficult to explain."

"If they are nothing to the hanyou, then they are nothing to this Sesshomaru."

The surety in Sesshomaru's voice brought an odd sense of peace to Miroku. If his prince truly desired Inuyasha, then nothing would stand in his way. Despite the hanyou's protests, Miroku knew Inuyasha was frightened by the pure InuYoukai of the West and given the vicious words he'd heard used in regards to half-breeds over the years, Miroku could only guess at the trauma the InuHanyou had been through in his life. Most likely, whatever fears Inuyasha held were more than warranted. And yet, when he'd spoken Sesshomaru's name, there had been an increase in the hanyou's heartbeat that had little to do with fear and more to do with desire. Most likely it was a desire Inuyasha was not completely aware of, yet it boded well for the future.

Glad the night was over, Miroku stretched his arms high above his head, the tip of his staff barely missing the edge of mokomoko. Not far away, a horn blew out a low-pitched melody. Eyes drifting back in the general direction of those assembled for the Gathering, Miroku stated, "It sounds like the Reckoning will soon begin. No doubt it shall prove as good entertainment."

Sesshomaru had seen several Reckonings and found little to entertain his mind watching weak youkai do battle. Even so, as the highest-ranking member of the Western Lands, it had always been his duty to attend, even though he'd never had even the slightest interest in any of the submissives. Staring out across the valley below, Sesshomaru wondered if this year would be different.

Reckonings could be long and tedious affairs. Traditionally, the larger clans would present their available submissives first. The submissive would stand before the crowd and if a dominant wished to claim them as mate, they would come forward to state their intentions. If this youkai were the only suitor and the submissive was willing, then it was a simple matter of the dominant placing a bite on the inner wrist of their desired mate, the mark indicating their good faith and that the submissive was no longer available for courting. The official mating ceremony was then held later at the clan's discretion.

However, many times, things did not go so simply. If the submissive presented was highly sought after and many dominants expressed their desire, the dominants would do battle with the winner being the only option given to the submissive. On rare occasions, the submissive could still reject the winner, but that was almost unheard of, as the clan the submissive belonged to would often insist upon it. Mating with the most powerful youkai available led to stronger future generations of offspring.

If no other suitors presented themselves, and the submissive was truly against the dominant they were presented with, the submissive did have the option of choosing a Champion to fight for them but these instances were exceedingly rare due to two main factors; first was that the Champion generally had no interest in mating the submissive, otherwise they would have already challenged for the right to do so. Consequently, few would ensue in a fight that could lead to severe bodily harm or even death for such a thing. Second, was that by requesting a Champion, the submissive automatically agreed that should the Champion win the battle, their life belonged to that youkai. The submissive would have gained no mate and be enslaved to another. Only the most desperate ever chose such an option.

Since the larger clans would be first to present their submissives, Sesshomaru thought he would have a day or two to observe the hanyou for himself and decide if he wanted to make a claim. Given the InuHanyou's lack of any type of clan affiliation, chances were fairly good that he would be the last one presented.

Basking in the last remnants of silence, Miroku let Sesshomaru's mind wander down whatever roads the InuYoukai chose, his own mind drifting back to the question of exactly who the hanyou's sire truly was, an idea pounding in the back of his mind when he heard Sesshomaru ask, "His name?"

"I assume you mean the InuHanyou?"

Silence.

Miroku only chuckled. "It is a simple one, the hanyou is known as InuYasha."

Sesshomaru didn't know why, but his youkai seemed pleased as he felt its power pleasantly roll through his veins.

Turning, Miroku began making his way towards the designated field the Reckoning was to be held in. Stopping, the monk questioned, "Are you attending this morning's activities?"

"It is my duty to do so."

Nodding, Miroku ignored the obviously irritated tone lacing that answer. Taking a step, the monk hesitated, "Prince Sesshomaru, your father's brother, Lord Tsuyoshi, may I ask when he passed from this earth?"

Turning slightly, Sesshomaru felt mokomoko twitch with irritation. Despite Tsuyoshi's _peculiarities,_ the InuYoukai had been one Sesshomaru had been fond of and knew his father still greatly mourned the loss of a brother he'd held in such high affection. "Why do you ask such a question?"

Scratching the back of his head, Miroku shrugged. "No real reason, something I heard yesterday reminded me of him and I could not remember the exact circumstances of his passing nor the true time."

Although Miroku generally annoyed him, it was a well-known fact that the monk had issues with the general concept of time. Privately, Sesshomaru thought it most likely had to do with the fact that Miroku was a dimensional youkai and due to their general circumstances, dimensional youkai had little need to keep track of something so unattainable as Time. Even though Miroku had escaped such a fate, Sesshomaru thought it was most likely something the monk was simply incapable of. "Tsuyoshi was killed doing battle with the dragon youkai, Ryukosusei a little over one hundred and twenty years ago." In the end, his father, Inu no Taisho had taken his revenge and to Sesshomaru's knowledge, Ryukosusei was still sealed to the mountain his father had shoved that damned dragon into.

Mind a whirl, Miroku did the math in his head. Generally, it took InuYoukai about one hundred and fifty years to reach mating maturity, but Inuyasha was a half-breed and could easily have matured at a faster, more human rate. "I apologize if my question was callous."

"It is of no importance."

If Miroku was right, then his question had been anything but unimportant. "Then I shall take my leave and see you at the Reckoning."

Expecting no response, Miroku wasn't disappointed when only silence greeted his farewell and quietly strode down the side the small incline leading to the cliff he and Sesshomaru had shared the night on – a cliff that he had at one point, thought might be his final resting place. With a mischievous smile, the monk contemplated just how close Sango had unknowingly come to finally getting rid of him. Chuckling softly, Miroku whispered, "You won't rid yourself of me that easily, my sweet Sango."

::::::::::

Not surprisingly, Inuyasha had found yet another tree to lean against, far at the edge of the group of youkai surrounding and encircling a large, open field. Only mildly curious, the hanyou had little idea as to what exactly was involved in the whole Reckoning business, but thought it was most likely just an opportunity for pure-blooded youkai to prove just how big and important they thought they were. "-Keh, stupid," he muttered.

"What's stupid now?"

Having both heard and smelled the wolf's approach, Inuyasha barely twitched an ear. "Your face, for starters."

"That was weak, mutt. Weak."

Inuyasha only gave a shrug of his shoulders in agreement. "So, you take care of that Bolovo wolf or what?"

Grunting low, Kouga kicked a patch of dirt at his feet. "That damn bastard. He's had his eye on Ayame for years and takes every damn opportunity to undermine me." Smiling wickedly, Kouga's claws nearly pierced the flesh of his palms. "No doubt about it, he's gonna challenge me for the right to mate Ayame."

Finally turning his head, Inuyasha's amber eyes studied the nearly feral glee lighting up his friend's face. "I assume you plan on wipin' the floor with his fleabitten hide."

"Damn right. After today's done, that weak-ass youkai will be crawlin' back to his den with his tail tucked between his legs. After all these years of dealin' with his shit, I can finally shut him up for good."

Having seen and fought with Kouga on numerous occasions, Inuyasha was fairly confident in his friend's abilities and if the wolf said he was gonna kick Bolovo's ass, then most likely that was what was gonna happen. "So, after you destroy Bolovo, is that it? Or does Ayame still have the option of rejecting your mangy ass?"

Stiffening, Kouga's blue eyes glared. "That's her choice. Ayame's strong enough that if she decides I'm not good enough, then she'll turn her back on me."

Although they teased each other mercilessly, Inuyasha had little doubt as to Kouga's true nature and strength; he wouldn't keep putting up with the wolf if he didn't. And, after meeting and speaking with Ayame, he had little doubt as to the she-wolf's decision. "Relax, I may not understand why, but Ayame seems to like ya so I think you're safe."

Despite his unease and slight nerves, Kouga was pretty confident what Ayame's choice would be, still, she was unpredictable – something he secretly loved about his intended mate. "Of course she does, what's not to like?"

"Your arrogance, for starters."

Waving a dismissive hand in the air, Kouga answered, "All dominant youkai are arrogant."

Inuyasha could only scoff out a quiet "-Keh," in response. After meeting Ayame, Inuyasha could more than see why Kouga wanted her, and most likely, there were others who saw her value. "Think they'll be any other challengers for her?"

Tilting his head back, Kouga seriously reviewed the matter, just as he'd been doing for the last few days. "I don't think any other wolves will challenge. Most know I can wipe the floor with their ass so it would just be embarrassin' for 'em. Not sure about the other tribes, but it's rare for wolves to mate outside their own kind."

Inuyasha had actually wondered about that and asked, "But not for other clans?"

"It kinda depends. There are a lot of youkai that don't care much, especially those that don't have a lot to choose from within their own species. In the end, I'd say for a lot of 'em, it's more a matter of power than pickin' from your own kind."

Without his permission, Inuyasha's mind traveled back to the day before when he'd seen the pure InuYoukai surrounded by a rather large and varied group of all different kinds of youkai, all of them seeming to vie for the Prince of the West's attention. But from what he'd seen, Sesshomaru hadn't been the least bit interested. Wincing, Inuyasha wondered why that thought made his heart beat just a little faster.

With a firm shake of his head, Inuyasha scolded himself. There wasn't a chance in hell that the Heir of the Western Lands would be interested in his half-breed hide, at least, not in any way that was good. In fact, he was fairly certain it would be a blessing if Sesshomaru totally ignored his presence on the planet. Most likely he'd live longer.

Clearing his head, Inuyasha asked, "So when will Ayame be presented?"

"As the largest of the groups, the wolves will be first but as the most prized submissive, Ayame will be the last one."

Somehow, it wasn't a real shock to Inuyasha to learn that the wolves were the most numerous of the youkai. Given the things he'd heard Kouga say over the years, he imagined that rutting their mates was a rather popular pastime for most of them. Not to mention the fact that it was just as common for a submissive wolf to give birth to two cubs, as it was one.

At the sound of yet another horn, Kouga's attention was drawn back to the center arena. "Looks like things are gonna start soon so I gotta get back to my own pack." Fidgeting slightly with the fur on his hip, Kouga looked a little sheepish. "I'd ask you to come with me, but – "

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha waved the wolf off. "Shut the fuck up, would ya. Like I'd wanna hang around a bunch of smelly ass wolves anyways."

Lips turned up into a smirk, one of Kouga's fangs glinted in the early morning light. "Don't tell me you're gonna hang all the way back here when I'm kickin' Bolovo's ass."

"I doubt it'll be much of a fight the way you're talkin'."

"True, chances are it won't take much time. Still, it might be interestin'."

With a shake of his head, Inuyasha's heart warmed at the thought that it was really that important to Kouga that he witness he and Bolovo's battle along with what was to follow with Ayame. The wolf wanted him there at one of the most important moments in Kouga's life and that meant something to the attention-starved hanyou. "If it means that much to ya, I'll make sure I've got a front row seat to Bolovo's humiliation."

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, Kouga gave a two-fingered salute as a way of goodbye, leaving Inuyasha shaking his head while a rare, soft smile played across his lips.

::::::::::

Although the tree he'd been leaning against wasn't that large, it was still big enough for Inuyasha to climb into, giving him a much better vantage on what was going on while at the same time, being able to ignore both the events and youkai huddled around the large, center arena. By now, it was mid afternoon and as of yet, there had only been one challenge made – the ensuing fight only mildly entertaining as both youkai doing battle were at best, mid-level.

But as the sun began dipping lower into the sky, Inuyasha both felt and heard the hush that fell upon the crowd as it was announced that Lady Ayame would be presented next. Ears perking up, the hanyou scrambled down his tree and began making his way to the edge of the grassy arena. Weaving, dodging and sometimes outright pushing, Inuyasha ignored the haughty stares and vial insults. These youkai and their opinions didn't mean jack shit to him and come hell or high water, he would be there to support his only friend.

Lost in the crowd, all Inuyasha could do was seek out any and all opportunities to move closer, all the while completely ignorant of the fact that he was getting closer and closer to Miroku. Almost at his goal, Inuyasha ducked between the legs of a humongous boar youkai, popping up like a weed on the other side. Unfortunately, the boar youkai was none to pleased and almost as soon as he was upright, Inuyasha felt the hot breath of the beast snorting against his twitching ears, an angered, "Half-breed," hissing through the air.

Making a scene and interrupting Kouga's big moment was the furthest thing from what Inuyasha wanted, but he'd finally made it to where he could both see and be seen and he'd be damned if he'd give up his position, especially considering the massive behemoth behind him was more than large enough to see over his smaller form. Turning, Inuyasha was just about ready to tell the boar youkai just that when he felt an arm reach across his shoulders, pulling him close to a body he didn't know and putting every muscle in his body on guard.

"Inuyasha, it is good to see you again, my friend."

Eyes momentarily widening, Inuyasha rolled his amber orbs at the crazy monk he'd somehow run into again. Annoyed, Inuyasha was just about to show Miroku why touching him without permission was such a bad idea when he heard the boar youkai ask, "You know this half-breed, Miroku?"

Standing there slightly stunned and more than a little disgruntled, Inuyasha watched as Miroku expertly diffused the situation. With only a few short words and gestures, the monk soon had the boar youkai chuckling with good humor. Truly, this odd dimensional youkai had a gift. When the brief exchange ended, Inuyasha found his body had, at some point, been expertly maneuvered so that Miroku was between him and the obnoxious boar. When and how that had happened, Inuyasha didn't know and was more than a little disturbed by the idea.

Pleased to have the incident over and even more pleased to have the hanyou beside him, Miroku pleasantly smiled. "You certainly have a way with those twice your size."

"-Keh, and you certainly have a way with bullshiting."

Eyes sharp, Miroku's smile was strained but not angered. "Buddha gave us all gifts to use."

Glancing at the staff tightly gripped within Miroku's hand, Inuyasha contemplated once more Miroku's odd choice of clothing as well as religion. It was unheard of for a youkai to believe, let alone practice, one of the human religions. Still, it didn't much matter to the hanyou what god the monk prayed to, in Inuyasha's experience, none of them much listened anyways.

Shrugging his shoulders, Inuyasha turned his head just in time to see Ayame walk out onto the field, as small as she was, the she-wolf radiated unprecedented self-confidence and surety leaving little doubt in his mind that should she choose to, Ayame could take down almost any dominant youkai here, Kouga included. Snorting, Inuyasha thought his friend was slightly masochistic and yet, the fact that Kouga was not intimidated to have such a powerful submissive mate only made the hanyou respect his friend more.

Seeing Inuyasha's reaction, Miroku stated, "The Lady Ayame is sure to be a handful."

"Yeah, she'll probably give dogbreath more bruises than his dad ever did. Difference is, Kouga will have earned each and every one he gets from Ayame."

Narrowed eyes drifting down, Miroku's sharp ears and mind saw a deeper meaning to the hanyou's words. The way it was spoken, the monk had the distinct impression that Kouga's father abused his son in some way, or at least, the hanyou saw it as unwarranted punishment. That in and of its self was odd. Wolves were known to spar and fight, their elders battling with the younger generations as a way of training, but they were a very loving and nurturing group of youkai when it came to those of their own tribe, especially offspring. "Prince Kouga does not get along with his father?"

Miroku watched Inuyasha's shoulders stiffen. "It ain't my place to say."

Although curious, Miroku was satisfied with the hanyou's answer. Inuyasha wasn't one to gossip, especially where a friend was concerned. It was a valuable trait, especially as the submissive mate to the Heir of the Western Lands. Eyes moving back to the arena, Miroku watched as Kouga came forward, stating his intentions towards Ayame. "Do you think he'll have any challengers?"

In answer, Inuyasha gave a gruff chuckle as he raised a pointed claw towards a second dominant wolf entering the field. "Kouga told me he's been itchin' to kick that bastard's ass for years."

"Ah, I see." Most likely, Miroku understood better than Inuyasha why Kouga had to restrain his desires to put this other dominant, the wolf known as Bolovo, Prince of the Southern Wolf Pack, in his place. Politics could be a messy business after all.

Barely hearing Miroku, Inuyasha was sizing up Bolovo. Having only recently heard of Bolovo, the hanyou had never met, let alone seen, his friend's rival. About the same height as Kouga, Bolovo was far more muscled. Hair a lighter shade of brown, Bolovo had a long streak of white starting at his left temple and running the length of his short, spiky hair. At the edge of the white streak, right where his hairline met smooth skin, was a short pink line, the tell tale sign of scar tissue – a wound that would have had to have been life threatening to have left any type of a mark. Bolovo looked tough and had a mean glare, but Inuyasha had been in enough battles in his life to realize looks were almost always deceiving.

With that thought in mind, Inuyasha's gaze shifted to the far end of the arena. Standing like silent sentinels were four youkai, Prince Sesshomaru among their ranks. Pristine and elegant, just looking at the InuYoukai one wouldn't think he was as deadly as Inuyasha thought him to be. Like so many other powerful pureblooded youkai, Sesshomaru's power was almost always suppressed, leaving its true potential a mystery. And yet, the hint of even that suppressed power had been more than enough to curl Inuyasha's toes.

Lost in his own thoughts, Inuyasha didn't know exactly when Sesshomaru's eyes had turned towards him, the InuYoukai's glittering golden orbs emotionlessly penetrating his soul. Blinking once, Inuyasha quickly looked away, the blush coloring his cheeks going unnoticed to all but a very observant dimensional youkai.

Smiling, Miroku saw Inuyasha's carotid artery bounding with the increased rate of his heart, the scent wafting off the hanyou more aroused than fearful. Watching as the flustered hanyou quickly looked away from Sesshomaru, Miroku lifted his own gaze to catch that of his prince. Inclining his head, Miroku shifted just a little closer to Inuyasha, a silent and unnoticed gesture to all but Sesshomaru that the monk was watching over the young InuHanyou. In response, the Heir of the West gave an almost imperceptible nod, his attention being forced back to the field, his duty ever weighing upon Sesshomaru.

The heavy sound of a body being slammed into the earth brought Inuyasha's attention fully back to the battle his friend was currently waging. Ruthless in his desire, Bolovo was using his weight to attack. Careless and wasteful in his attacks, in Inuyasha's opinion, Bolovo was relying on his physical strength far too much. Sure, when a punch landed, it looked like it hurt like hell, but Kouga's agility and light-footedness allowed the wolf prince to dodge almost each and every one of them. However, an unlucky kick to the chest sent Kouga sprawling to the ground, gasping for breath.

Seeing Kouga lying on his back, Inuyasha's fingers fisted, his claws digging sharply into the palms of his hands. With little thought, the hanyou shouted, "Get the fuck up and end this bastard, dogbreath."

Ears ringing from smacking his head on the ground, Kouga heard Inuyasha's words, each one echoing through his mind and settling the dizziness assaulting his senses. Giving a feral smirk, Kouga bounced up, his eyes briefly swinging in Inuyasha's direction, just long enough to give the hanyou a wink before stating, "Don't worry, muttface, I'm just havin' a bit of fun."

Muttering a quiet, "Stupid fleabag," Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, shoving his hands deep within the sleeves of his firerat. Within moments, the tide of the fight changed and soon enough, it was easy to see who was the more powerful. Graceful, agile and direct; each and every one of Kouga's attacks were calculated to do the most damage using the least amount of energy. "About time he stopped pissin' around."

Having never seen Kouga battle before, Miroku was uncertain as to the wolf's abilities. Evidently, this was not so for the hanyou. "You seem to know quite a bit about Kouga's abilities."

"-Keh, me and dogbreath have been goin' at it for years. Beatin' the shit outta 'em is about all the wolf's good for."

Miroku doubted Inuyasha truly felt that way, but it was interesting to note that the hanyou had been able to participate in some type of training. Hearing a quiet grunt of something between a mix of awe and irritation, Miroku looked down to see Inuyasha's silvery-white strands of hair shifting as the hanyou shook his head.

"Damn wolf, now he's stealin' my moves."

Eyebrows rising, Miroku looked back out on the field, fairly certain he'd missed whatever move Inuyasha was speaking about. It appeared the hanyou's tussles with Kouga weren't just beneficial for Inuyasha.

Watching the ensuing battle, it was clear that Kouga's intention was not only to defeat Bolovo, but also to beat him in such a way that left little question as to just how much superior Kouga was to the other wolf. Controlled and calm, Kouga was not only showcasing his abilities in the field of battle, but that under any type of duress, his actions would be similar. Hotheaded and arrogant, just like almost every other powerful, dominant youkai, Kouga did not allow those aspects of his personality to rule his nature, not when it truly counted.

Within a matter of moments, the battle was over; Bolovo laid out upon the ground, the ball of one of Kouga's feet (the one with the bits and pieces of youkai he'd defeated in the past strapped around his ankle) pressing heavily down upon Bolovo's chest, pinning the exhausted wolf to the ground. Satisfied, Kouga leaned forward, his lips close to one of his rival's pointed ears as he whispered something that flushed Bolovo's already pinked skin a deep, angry crimson. Through gritted teeth, Bolovo clearly stated, "I concede."

Amber eyes traveling the field, Inuyasha noted Ayames satisfied, and perhaps slightly, relieved face. Across the grassy arena, the wolves of all tribes save one were giving whooping gestures of their hands, their heads thrown back in howls of triumph.

Feeling an odd sense of his own relief, Inuyasha couldn't hide the smile of approval on his own face.

"Well, it looks as if this match is over. Now it is up to the Lady Ayame if she will agree to the mating."

Never once looking up at Miroku, Inuyasha simply nodded. "She'll agree. I still think she's probably too good for dogbreath, but if you ask me, Ayame's just as smitten with Kouga as he is with her."

"Ah, then it is an even better match than I'd previously thought."

Deep inside his chest, Inuyasha felt something tighten – that same something he'd locked away long ago – want. Being a half-breed, Inuyasha had long ago learned that his life would be one of day upon day of solitude. To be sure, these past few years with Kaede and even the mangy wolf had eased his soul in ways he'd never thought possible, at least, not for him. But as with everything, those days were fleeting and drawing to a close. Soon, Kouga and Ayame would officially mate and not long after, cubs would be born and his friend would have both less time and desire to meet with the hanyou. And as for Kaede . . . well, he'd already made that decision and for the old miko's own peace of mind, Inuyasha would follow through on his plan. Kaede never need know what he already did; that finding a true mate was impossible for the InuHanyou.

Eyes drawn to the center of the expansive field, Inuyasha watched as Lady Ayame gave Kouga a satisfied smirk, her eyes filled with a kind of warmth he only dreamed of. Oddly gentle, Kouga lifted Ayame's right arm, rolling her hand over to expose the tender flesh of a fragile wrist, the wolf's teeth gently scraping her skin. It was a promise, a binding of futures. It was precious and something Inuyasha was certain he'd never experience.

Frustrated for having such thoughts and more than a little pissed at himself for stupidly longing over something so out of his reach, Inuyasha drew in a deep breath before finally answering Miroku with a confident, "It's good."

Perceptive as ever, Miroku may not have known exactly what was going through the hanyou's mind, but he did recognize a litany of emotions pass over those guarded amber orbs. Seeking to relieve the tension, Miroku pointed his staff towards the field. "Aren't you going to congratulate your friend?"

Unfortunately, the monk's words only enhanced the growing loneliness brewing within Inuyasha's soul. "Nah. He's gotta celebrate with his pack and that's not somethin' I'm welcome at. Knowin' dogbreath, he'll come find me later on to gloat."

Only now seeing what Inuyasha did, Miroku frowned at his own callousness. Wanting to apologize, the monk held his tongue. Although he'd only known the hanyou for a day or so, he was fairly certain Inuyasha would see any such action as pity and hence be greatly insulted and offended.

Watching the wolves leave the field, Inuyasha saw no reason to stay in this cramped, youkai filled audience. With a couple of hours of light left, there would probably be more submissive presentations and maybe even another challenge or two, but it held no interest to him. Turning, the hanyou gave a quick, "See ya later, monk," before slipping back into the crowd, Miroku barely having enough time to raise a hand in farewell before the crimson of the hanyou's firerat all but disappeared into a swarm of bodies.

With Inuyasha out of sight, Miroku's eyes turned towards Sesshomaru's position, noting the InuYoukai's gaze was locked on something slightly behind him, those golden orbs moving ever so slightly as they intently followed their target. Mood light once more, Miroku smiled, a soft, "Ever the predator," slipping from his lips as he imagined Sesshomaru's sharp vision following a pair of furry puppydog ears through an oppressive amount of youkai.

Relaxing back into the heels of his sandals, Miroku hummed, his eyes casually looking out across the sea of youkai. With the wolf contingent moving out to celebrate, several of the other groups that had been forced from the sidelines angled in for a closer view, the bear youkai from yesterday being among them. As was evidently typical, Jakotem was yucking it up with a few mindless groupies, his antics irritating the surrounding youkai and generally making a fool of himself. How the elder of his tribe had allowed for such an idiot to gain the amount of control Jakotem had was beyond Miroku.

Tracking through the group, Miroku sought out the Lady Kitanya, but when his eyes found her, the calm he'd so recently found seeped a little from his soul. Eyes intent, Kitanya stared over in his direction, or more precisely, to the spot immediately to his left, the very location a certain InuHanyou had so recently been standing. Watching Kitanya, it was clear to Miroku that the female bear youkai was deep in thought, her mind contemplating something he could not grasp, something he somehow feared involved Inuyasha.

With no way to find out what was going through Lady Kitanya's mind, Miroku could only stand and wait, the last few days pulling at his normally rock solid nerves. Running the palm of his hand over his face, the monk gave an exasperated huff, a quiet, "Buddha save me," slipping past his lips as yet another submissive, this time a young lion youkai, was brought out on the field.

 _Whew, we learned a lot in that one. For those of you also reading the Chaos story, you already know that I'm going to try and alternate weeks that each story gets an extra chapter posted. Last week I did an extra one for Chaos and so it's this story's turn this week. I can never guarantee updates during the week, only the one's on Sundays, but I will really try. Work can be a bit of a bitch for me at times. Four days a week I can be at work anywhere from 10-14 hours depending on what's going on and I work every other weekend as well. Not saying that to complain, but more explain._

 _If I remember correctly (as always with my memory, that's a big IF), I think we are only a couple of chapters away from a little one on one face time between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha (Yeah!). I know that's what most of your are waiting on._

 _I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I will try very hard to post another one mid-week. In the mean time, be safe and happy :-)_

 _lunamist_


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi everyone, this is your mid-week update (as if you couldn't already figure that out). As always, thank you to all that reviewed. Some of you have such detailed comments and I love to hear people are wondering where things are going. Had a reviewer ask about Inu no Taisho's brother and no he didn't have a brother in the original series. I made Tsuyoshi up for the purposes of this story. Also have many of you eagerly anticipating Inuyasha putting the proverbial smack-down on Jakotum. I will say this . . . eventually wishes do come true :-). Oh - also had a reviewer ask if Inuyasha has Tessaiga and the answer is, no . . . not at the present time._

 _Work was long and tiring today and I think I'm too pooped to add much else for now. Hope you all like the extra chapter this week._

 _Chapter 7 . . ._

Back in his favorite local tree, Inuyasha watched the evening fade into night, his stomach growling low at not having been fed these past couple of days. He'd gone a hell of a lot longer without food and it was more of a nuisance than anything else. Of course, the smell of food all around (food he was unwelcome to) wasn't helping matters much. Normally, he would have simply gone out hunting, but the massive localization of powerful youkai aura had any and all available prey long gone from the surrounding area.

"Knew I'd find ya here."

Having both smelled and heard Kouga's approach, Inuyasha barely twitched an ear. "I figured you'd still be celebratin' with your new mate."

Leaning against the trunk, Kouga gave a wide grin, his head tilted back so he could look up into the tree. "Technically, she ain't my mate yet, but we'll make it one hundred percent official as soon as possible."

Glancing down, Inuyasha shivered at the lecherous look alighting Kouga's face. "I feel sorry for Ayame, she seems like a decent enough female."

With a quick bark of laughter, Kouga backed away from the tree trunk, his neck still craned upwards. "Are you plannin' on stayin' up in that damned tree or are ya gonna come down from there."

"I got no reason to move. I'm comfortable. Besides, I know you've just come to gloat and let me tell you, there ain't no reason to boast about beatin' a youkai as weak as that Bolovo turned out to be."

Kouga let out a huff. "No shit. Even you could have kicked Bolovo's ass." From the treetops, Kouga heard a satisfying growl in response.

"Fuck, that battle woulda been over in less than five seconds if I'd been his opponent."

Kouga only shrugged. "It wasn't just about physically defeatin' him."

In response, silence reigned only to be followed by a heavy sigh and quiet, "Yeah, I know." Absently scratching behind an ear, Inuyasha thought back to the fight and knew it had been more political than practical. "Well, anyways, I guess I should congratulate you. As I said earlier, Ayame seems to be a good female. At least now I'll know there'll be somebody around when I'm not to keep you in your place."

Wagging tail loosing speed, Kouga frowned. Today had been a good day, no; today had been an exceptional day. Defeating Bolovo so thoroughly and having Ayame agree to mate him had all but cemented his role as future alpha of not only his own wolf tribe, but that of the Mountain Wolf Tribe as well. But this trip hadn't been just about his future, but Inuyasha's as well. "Inuyasha."

Straightening, Inuyasha didn't like the serious tone Kouga's voice had just taken.

"Is there anyone? I mean . . . we're already a day into the Reckoning and mostly you've just been keeping to yourself and – "

"And what? What exactly did you think would happen here?"

Barely flinching at the acrimonious tone, Kouga tapped his foot with his own unease. "There are a lot of dominants here, have you even tried gettin' to know any of them?"

"-Keh." Shifting, Inuyasha definitely didn't want to be having this conversation. "Look, dogbreath, I said I'd come and I came. That is all I promised. You and I both know this was a waste of fuckin' time."

"Damn-it, mutt! If you'd just put in a little effort – "

"Is that all you think it would take?" Throwing his head back, Inuyasha gave a bitter laugh. "Gods above Kouga, you more than anyone should know it ain't that easy. All the times your father beat the shit outta ya just for comin' to visit my half-breed hide, what the fuck do you think the rest of the dominant youkai out there think? Pure-breeds are all the same and the only interest any would have in me would be as a breeder, not a true mate, and I'd rather die before that shit happens."

Frown deepening, Kouga knew his friend was right, still . . . he'd been hopeful, maybe foolishly so. "What about Kaede?"

"What about her?"

"Part of the reason, hell, probably the only reason you came to this thing was because of her. She probably ain't gonna last another two years, let alone the next fifty and that's when the next Gathering will be."

Looking off to the side, Inuyasha felt his ears flatten into his hair. "Don't worry about Kaede, I'll take care of it."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Leaning over his branch, Inuyasha's patience was dwindling fast. "What it means, dumbass, is that I will take care of it."

Head cocked to the side, Kouga thought over the hanyou's words until realization hit him. "Fuckin' hell, you're plannin' on lyin' to her. You're gonna march your hanyou ass into the village and tell that old miko that you actually found a mate. And then what? For a human, Kaede's damn smart. It won't take her long to figure out that you're missin' somethin' important."

Finally jumping from his perch, Inuyasha's amber eyes narrowed with both pain and determination. "No, she won't. No pure-ass youkai would ever move to a human village. She'll expect me to leave to go with my mate."

Slumping, Kouga's muscles felt just about as strong as an overcooked noodle. "You mean – "

"That's exactly what I mean, and you ain't gonna tell her any different."

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it? I can't believe you're gonna sacrifice the last bit of time you've got with that old wench." Today had been such a beautiful day for Kouga, all his dreams coming to fruition and here Inuyasha had been, all this time, knowing that he was going to be losing the only home he'd ever truly known. By the gods, it wasn't fair.

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha buried his hands deep within his sleeves. "It's what's best. Kaede will never know and if it'll give her peace of mind then so be it. It's not like I was gonna have much more time with her anyways."

Backing away, Kouga placed heavy hands on his hips, his eyes cast off somewhere deep in the distance. "Where will you go?"

Inuyasha just shrugged. "Who knows? I'll get by. I always have."

Chest constricting with pain, Kouga's mind worked frantically. "I'll speak with my father again. I'll make the council see reason, I'll – " voice quieting, Kouga looked down when he felt the oddly gentle touch of Inuyasha's claws resting upon his forearm.

"No. You've got a matin' to organize, not to mention figurin' out how to integrate two of the largest wolf tribes into one. This ain't the time and besides, we already know the answer. It's not worth it."

"No, what you really mean is that you don't think you're worth it."

"Same difference," Inuyasha answered with a shrug.

Snarling, Kouga growled out a frustrated, "Hardly," before pulling out of his friend's grasp. "I just can't understand why they can't see what I do."

Inuyasha had never fully understood why Kouga seemed so determined and risked so much on his behalf, but he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit that it warmed something deep within his soul. "I'm a half-breed. It's all they'll ever see and nothin' I do or say can change that."

Grunting, Kouga had to agree. After all, the only reason he even knew the hanyou was because Inuyasha had damn near gotten himself killed saving two wolf cubs he didn't even know and still the elder wolf council treated the hanyou like a disease.

Hating the rare, defeated look on Kouga's face, Inuyasha nodded his head in the direction where the wolves had located themselves. "You better be gettin' back before Ayame decides you really aren't worth it."

Eyes darting back to his friend, Kouga gave a smile that was barely skin-deep. "You're probably right, but I'd chase after her."

"Of that, I got little doubt." Shaking his head, Inuyasha added an exaggerated, "Poor Ayame," for which he got a smack in the shoulder.

And yet, despite what he'd said, Kouga couldn't bring his legs to move. Kouga didn't give up any more then Inuyasha did. "Listen, muttface, don't you dare go too far and don't go gettin' yourself killed either. Sooner than my dad thinks, I'm gonna be takin' over our pack and when I do, things are gonna be different. When that time comes, I fully expect you to be around."

"Kouga – "

"Not another word. You know I mean what I say."

Inuyasha could only shake his head. "Yeah, I know. Just . . . I'll do my best."

Swallowing hard, Kouga thought Inuyasha would most likely be alive when the time came, but he worried for his friend's mind. Inuyasha was an InuHanyou – a dog youkai and pack animal, just like him. Inu's weren't meant to live in solitude any more than wolves and the mutt's human side wouldn't be much more help in that regard either.

Turning to leave, Kouga stopped, his head turning slightly but his eyes remaining fixed ahead as he asked, "You're gonna stay for the rest of it, aren't you?"

Inuyasha blew out a breath. "-Keh, I told ya I'd attend this damn thing and I keep my word."

Nodding once, Kouga sprinted off into the night, his heart heavy and mind ill at ease. He needed a solution and he needed it within the next two days. Somehow, he doubted the gods would be kind enough to offer him one.

With the wolf gone and the campsite winding down for the night, Inuyasha was left to his own, silent solitude. Taking a deep breath, he leapt back into the large tree, easily settling into place. With a sturdy tree trunk at his back and a wide branch under his ass, the hanyou was contemplative. This whole Gathering thing would probably only last another two days, three at the most. Soon, he would be heading back to Kaede's village, alone and unmated and gearing up to put on the performance of a lifetime. He hated lying, but he'd do it. Inuyasha would lie his half-breed ass off to give comfort to the human woman who'd given him more in these past few decades than he'd ever hoped to get in the whole entirety of his life. Kaede deserved to pass into the next world with as much ease to her heart as possible and he would do his damnest to make that possible.

Heart heavy, Inuyasha's ears flicked absently upon the top of his head as he unconsciously listened for any threatening sound. By now, his senses were on autopilot when it came to his own survival – years of living alone with no one to depend on but himself had trained his body well. Ear suddenly catching a slight sound, Inuyasha froze, his nose scenting the surrounding air but coming up . . . well, not empty, but full and that was the damn problem with this place. His nose was good, great even, but even he was getting overwhelmed. With the constant pressure of hundreds of youkai (no matter how suppressed most were) weighing down on him, along with the seemingly endless barrage of overbearing smells and sounds, Inuyasha was left trying to filter too much information and feeling far too exposed for his own ease.

He might be dreading his last and final trip to see Kaede, but he certainly wasn't heartsick at leaving this place. Stuffing his hands deep into his firerat, Inuyasha tried to relax and get us much rest as possible, but knew it would most likely be another night of restless sleep.

::::::::::

Unknown to the hanyou, one powerful as fuck InuYoukai was lounging, far closer than the hanyou would have ever been comfortable with. Keeping downwind and utterly still, Sesshomaru's golden eyes watched, his ears taking in every syllable, every tone of voice, and every sigh uttered by both the hanyou and wolf.

Throughout the hanyou and wolf's conversation, Sesshomaru had listened to the two of them pass insults and revulsive language and yet, there was no true offense. In fact, the more Sesshomaru observed, the more he began believing that lecherous monk might actually be correct. For whatever reason, there seemed to be a deep and loyal friendship between the half-breed and wolf prince, one that he gathered was not appreciated by Kouga's father nor most members of his tribe. And, although Sesshomaru thought wolves (in general) repulsive, he was intrigued that the heir and obviously one of their strongest member's, would go against his tribe's wishes and continue to seek out the hanyou's company. What exactly was it about this half-breed that inspired such a reaction from the wolf as well as one of his father's most trusted advisors?

And then there was the matter of this human woman the wolf alluded to, a Kaede. Sesshomaru had heard of such a miko years ago and believed she lived in a village at the far eastern edge of the Western Lands. What little he remembered, the youkai mentioning her had spoken with respect. If this were the same Kaede, it would indeed make the human quite old by now. What her relationship was to the hanyou though . . . Sesshomaru still did not understand. What he did gather was that Inuyasha intended to be untruthful the next time he saw her and yet, it was a lie that the wolf seemed to believe would cause a great amount of damage to the hanyou, not the human. Why Inuyasha would do such a thing was yet another mystery. Youkai were not widely known for their self-sacrificial ways, unless it was in defense of what was theirs. So, did this miko somehow belong to the hanyou? Or perhaps the situation was influenced more by the half-breed's human side as opposed to his houkai half.

Intrigued and deep in thought, Sesshomaru drew in a deep breath and felt peace and warmth flood his body, it was a feeling so new and pleasant that he hardly knew what to do with it. At first, he'd found these emotions to be overwhelming and uncomfortable, but upon closer inspection, he thought that reaction had merely been a natural response to something so foreign. Sesshomaru had learned long ago that lying to oneself was just another form of weakness and not to be tolerated, consequently, he strove to see the truth in the emotions the hanyou sparked in him, in spite of the unease it caused him. In point of fact, turning from the half-breed and returning to the Western Lands, unmated once more, would not only be the easier path, but the safer as well. And yet, to do so would be something a lesser youkai would do. To ignore what his own youkai was screaming at him simply to take the easier and safer path was abhorrent to Sesshomaru's soul. And so, here he was – watching, observing; bathing his senses in the InuHanyou.

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru attempted to catalogue every thought and emotion Inuyasha spurred within him. Desire and want were disturbingly at the forefront but firmly backing those two intense emotions was an even deeper need to protect; to possess. Powerful youkai rarely did anything half-ass and claiming a mate was no different, especially for one such as Sesshomaru. Should he decide to actually mate with the half-breed, it would be all or nothing.

But, was Inuyasha truly worthy of being his mate? Miroku seemed to think so and if his father was to be believed, the monk was a good judge of character. It was painfully obvious the hanyou had no experience with nobility or court life, both of which should make Inuyasha less appealing as a choice and yet somehow did just the opposite. Sesshomaru had always hated the simpering, insincere panderings of the youkai elite he'd been forced to consider mating. Living such pampered lives, such youkai were weak in his eyes. They would be in constant need of protection and attention. True, he desired to protect his mate, but having a submissive mate capable of defending both themselves and any future pups was a quality he found intoxicating and exceedingly rare.

Quiet and almost inaudible, Sesshomaru caught the barest of whimpers, his eyes quickly zeroing in on the hanyou. Eyes closed tight, it looked as if Inuyasha was in the midst of some type of disturbing dream or memory, his sleep fitful at best. Pulling mokomoko about his waist, Sesshomaru listened and watched as the dream ended, but the hanyou's sleep did not deepen. At this rate, Inuyasha would get little rest and that . . . bothered him. Not completely sure if what he was about to do was a good idea or would even work, Sesshomaru slowly released a bit of his youkai, the beast within him itching to soothe whatever discomfort the hanyou was suffering from. Soothing, warm and protective, Sesshomaru let his youkai blanket the young InuHanyou, Inuyasha's steadying heartbeat and even breaths comforted the Heir of the Western Lands in a way he'd never dreamed possible.

Content to stay as he was, Sesshomaru kept his golden orbs fixed upon the steady rise and fall of Inuyasha's chest. With each passing second, the InuYoukai became increasingly aware that little in his life had ever felt this instinctively right.

::::::::::

Morning came with the sounds of horns, their oddly soothing cadence alerting the gathered youkai that the Reckoning was about to start once more. Awakened by the sound, Inuyasha lazily opened his amber eyes, his arms stretched above his head. Yawning wide enough to show fangs, the hanyou marveled at just how rested and content his body felt, well, except for the gnawing hunger still biting at his stomach. Blinking against the sunlight, Inuyasha wondered how he'd managed to sleep so well and soundly. In point of fact, he doubted he'd slept that deeply since he'd been a pup lying in his mother's arms.

Confused as to why his youkai would have felt safe enough to sleep so deeply in a place like this, Inuyasha's peace turned contemplative and suspicious. And yet, he could find no reason, either good or bad. Ear flicking, Inuyasha heard the sound of another horn. Body relaxed and at ease, the hanyou wanted to ignore the sound and just stay up in the tree, but given his overall distrust of the situation, Inuyasha forced his body into action, dropping to the ground with the grace and ease of years of practice.

Having nothing better to do, Inuyasha moved towards the central arena hoping for some type of distraction from the hunger biting at his stomach. Continuing to ignore the needs of his body, the hanyou inched closer and closer. This time, it looked like he was early enough to get a good spot and he settled back. It wasn't long before more and more youkai began crowding around, thankfully all but ignoring the smaller InuHanyou.

Eyes scanning around the area, Inuyasha found his gaze drifting back to the far end of the field, the same four youkai standing in the exact same positions as yesterday, Prince Sesshomaru among them. Noting the InuYoukai wasn't paying attention to him, Inuyasha let his gaze take in the impressive form and felt a reflexive shudder run down his spine. No matter how badly he wanted not to notice the pure-breed youkai, Inuyasha was repeatedly drawn to Sesshomaru and he had no idea why. Although Miroku seemed like a decent enough (if not odd) youkai, Inuyasha didn't believe for a second that the InuYoukai of the West knowing about his existence would turn out to be a good thing. Experience told him otherwise. And, if that were the case, he should be avoiding Sesshomaru like the plague, and yet . . . that's not at all what his youkai was telling him to do.

Confused as to what was going on with his instincts, Inuyasha shook his head and muttered a quiet, "Damn thing's lost its mind."

"You finally goin' crazy, mutt? I knew it was just a matter of time."

Cocking his head to the side, Inuyasha's puppydog ears twitched. "The trip gets shorter and shorter the more time I spend with you, fleabag."

Laughing, Kouga smiled widely. As future leader of the wolves, few would banter so freely with the wolf prince. Although not as bad as Sesshomaru's lot, many of Kouga's frustrations were similar to the Heir of the West. Afraid to get on his bad side, many of the wolves Kouga knew agreed with his ideas far too readily, well, except when it came to the half-breed standing beside him. Where Inuyasha was concerned, most of the other wolves he knew had no trouble telling him what a disgrace it was that he mingled so openly with the hanyou. "I'm surprised to see ya here so early."

Inuyasha only shrugged. "Not like I got anything better to do." Unfortunately, it was at that moment the hanyou's stomach growled loudly.

Hearing that unmistakable sound, Kouga frowned. "When was the last time you ate?"

"-Keh, that ain't none of your concern."

"Damn-it, Inuyasha! Why the fuck didn't you tell me you were hungry? We've got plenty of food."

"I don't need your damn charity."

"Oh for fucks sake! Your pride is gonna become a legend."

Eyes narrowed, Inuyasha turned his head away. "As if you'd do any different if the roles were reversed. Besides, I've gone way longer without and as soon as this damn thing is over, I'll eat well enough."

Shaking his head, Kouga wondered at his own stupidity for not having realized the situation earlier. Of course prey would be scarce around an area of this much concentrated youkai energy, that's why each group brought their own food. For those youkai not affiliated with a tribe of their own, the ones organizing the Gathering normally provided sustenance, but he doubted Inuyasha would seek them out. "I'm assumin' you know there's food available, that the organizin' group provides it."

Inuyasha only snarled his disgust. "As if I'd give them the satisfaction of givin' me rotten meat." Gaze landing on a rather robust group of wolves across the way, Inuyasha looked back at his friend. "You know I don't need ya to babysit me, right."

Knowing it was useless to discuss the topic of food further, Kouga followed the hanyou's gaze and sighed, one clawed hand coming up to scratch behind a pointed ear. "Yeah, but honestly, I'm usin' you as an excuse to get away from them for a while. Don't get me wrong, I'd die protectin' my wolves, but everyone needs a break now and then."

With a small grin, Inuyasha nodded his head. "All the praise and worship gettin' to be a bit much?"

"Fuck, you'd think I just took over ownership of the whole gods be damned world. I don't mind a little ass kissin' but this is gettin' ridiculous and . . . irritatin'."

"Well, I guess you've come to the right place then, because it'll be a cold day in hell before I ever lean over and kiss that disgustin' thing you sit on."

Barking out a peal of laughter, Kouga slapped Inuyasha on his back, earning a growl from the hanyou. "Thank the gods for that, mutt."

Growl quickly turning into a chuckle, Inuyasha's mirth died down as he felt the skin on his neck begin tingling. Eyes darting up and around, the hanyou sucked in a deep breath when he found golden orbs intently staring at him, those dangerous eyes quickly flicking in the wolf's direction before staring back out on the field.

Confused, Inuyasha still couldn't figure out why his youkai seemed pleased with the attention. Having something that powerful focused on him was normally a bad sign, a very bad sign. Blinking once, the hanyou caught a movement beside Sesshomaru and shifted his gaze. There, standing at the InuYoukai's side, was a smiling Miroku. "Man, that dimensional youkai is an odd one."

Stiffening, Kouga's senses sharpened at the direction his friend's attention was in. "I've heard things about Miroku, but never dreamed most of it was true."

Head still tilted towards the group of four, Inuyasha asked, "So, what's up with those four?"

"Those are the highest ranking members of each of the lands. Or, at least, they're the highest-ranking ones in attendance. You've got 'em all there; North, South, East, and West."

"Are they all as high rankin' as Sesshomaru?"

Still uncomfortable with the hanyou's seemingly increasing interest in the Heir of the West, Kouga paused momentarily before answering, "No, although I'm not completely clear on all the Lands' hierarchies. I can tell ya that that is the actual Lord of the North standin' there. Not sure about the representative from the South. The Eastern Lord hasn't come for a while, mostly because he's already mated and he has this convenient ability to mentally connect with some of his personal advisors. That way, he can be here without really bein' here."

"No shit?"

"No shit. I've only seen it once and it was freaky. It's like that guy is standin' in front of ya, but it's not really him you're talkin' to. It's strange, but damn useful."

Inuyasha could easily see how handy that would be for a ruler of an entire group of lands - convenient and safe.

At the sound of another horn, Inuyasha watched the same rather unassuming youkai enter the middle of the field. "Looks like the show's about ready to get started. You know who's up first?"

"They've still got a couple of lion submissives to get through and then it's the bears' turn."

Cringing, Inuyasha wasn't at all sure he would stay for Kitanya's presentation and that jackass Jakotem's uncontested claim. "Think they'll be anything interestin'?"

"Hard to say. The lions are a pretty stable group and all their top submissives are either mated already or haven't hit their maturity so I'd imagine it will go pretty smooth. They'll probably be a few submissives that won't have any offers this mornin'."

Inuyasha could only nod. "What happens to the unclaimed ones?"

"Nothin' bad. In most tribes it's not a social stigma or anything. Unmated submissives are still important and are usually valued members. Some help with the rearing of the young, others hunt, it all depends on what they're best at."

This was probably the thing Inuyasha was dreading the most, the time when he would have to walk out on that field and stand on display. Of course, there would be no true mating offers and if he was made an offer to become a breeder, he had the right to refuse – no challenge necessary. Most likely he'd get an earful of jeers and vial comments, but he was used to those. Words only hurt when you let them into your soul and Inuyasha would lock his heart down, build a wall so tall and thick that even the tiniest of snickers wouldn't be able to get through.

Feeling the weight of the silence beside him, Kouga could only imagine what paths Inuyasha's mind traveled. "Some of the wolves will be headin' back tomorrow mornin' but Ayame and I plan on stayin' until the end."

Eyes seeing nothing but the blurred colors of the arena field, Inuyasha's lips tightened to nothing more than a thin line of understanding. Without saying it directly, Kouga had just let him know that he would stay until his own presentation was done and over with. Although he would not be on the field with him, the wolf prince would be as close as possible – a friend in a sea of loathing. "You don't gotta stay."

Shifting his weight, Kouga let his shoulder bump into Inuyasha's. "Not like I got anything better to do."

Allowing a small smile, Inuyasha only grunted a reply as the first lioness was brought out onto the field.

::::::::::

By early morning, the lion pride was finished and true to Kouga's words, there had been no disputes and several of the submissive lions had gone unclaimed. By mid morning, they were almost through the bear tribe with only Kitanya left. Watching the small submissive bear walk onto the field, Inuyasha felt his muscles knot with irate tension. In his mind, the hanyou kept reminding himself that it was none of his business what happened with a bunch of bears from the East. If they all wanted to be dumb as fuck and follow an idiot like Jakotem, then they deserved whatever hell they got.

And yet, Inuyasha knew what it was to feel helpless, to feel as if the world had abandoned you to whatever cruel end fate dictated. Most likely, that was exactly how Kitanya was feeling.

"I don't think I've got the stomach to watch this."

Eyes solemn, Kouga nodded his agreement. "Such a waste." And truly, Kouga meant that. Watching as such a proud and well-bred female submissive silently stood while Jakotem arrogantly strode across the field, his cocky swagger ridiculously out of place. "He looks like a gods be damned warrior comin' home after a great victory. Stupid fuck doesn't even realize how ridiculous he looks to every other youkai here. Everybody knows Kitanya doesn't want jack to do with him and that shit don't earn any kind of respect. Jakotem's just too stupid to realize it."

Head down, Inuyasha let his bangs cover his eyes as he heard the moderator's voice hum in the distance. Amber eyes shifting up, he found his gaze once more drawn to Sesshomaru's form. Somehow he doubted the Heir of the Western Lands would ever force a submissive to mate with him. Then again, most likely he'd never have that problem.

Gaze steady upon the scene playing out before him, Kouga's muscles began to stiffen with concern. Instead of looking at Jokotem, Kitanya was staring in their direction, or more importantly, the submissive's eyes were locked on Inuyasha. At that intense gaze, Kouga began feeling a nervous ache gripping his gut, all of his instincts screaming at him to get his friend out of there. Unfortunately, he never had a chance.

::::::::::

Feeling sick in his gut at what was about to happen, Inuyasha grumbled a quiet, "I'm outta here," as the moderator asked if there were any youkai willing to battle Jakotem for the right to mate with the Lady Kitanya. And, as was expected, there was only silence. Turning his back on the disgusting scene, Inuyasha's puppydog ears suddenly perked and swiveled back atop his head, his gaze quickly following as his wide, amber eyes stared unseeing towards the submissive bear youkai standing in the middle of a grassy field, her large brown eyes intense and pleading as clawed hands fisted at her side.

"What the fuck did she just say?"

Beside him, Inuyasha heard Kouga hiss out a shuddered, "Fuckin' hell," before the wolf's mouth drew into a tight line.

All around, the crowd had grown deathly silent with only the moderator's voice asking, "Lady Kitanya, could you please repeat your request."

Squaring her shoulders, Kitanya finally turned her attention to Jakotem, the dominant looking as if he was about to explode with fury. Voice clear and without hesitation, Kitanya stated, "As is my right, I, Lady Kitanya of the Eastern Bear Tribe, claim the right to choose a Champion."

Snarling, Jakotem made a step forward, only to be blocked by the moderator. Physically deterred from doing harm, Jakotem chose the weapon handiest, his words. "As if any would agree to risk death for you, Kitanya."

Swallowing, Kitanya knew she was taking a big chance. Hell, she was gambling her life on it.

Finally convinced Jakotem would stay where he was, the moderator looked to Kitanya, determined to follow proper protocol. "As is the submissive's right, Lady Kitanya may name a Champion. However, it is within the rights of the Champion to decline." And, in the moderator's opinion, almost all did.

"Thank you." Without further word, Kitanya turned, her brown eyes, once more focusing in on the hanyou as she exclaimed, "I choose the half-breed, Inuyasha as my Champion."

As one, both Inuyasha and Kouga took in hissing breaths of air. Recovering first, Kouga whispered, "She can't be serious."

Amber eyes darting around, Inuyasha desperately wanted to shrink into his firerat robes. Having the attention of all these damned youkai on him was making his instincts flare with the need to escape. But with every fiber of his being, the hanyou fought that natural instinct for survival, for his pride would not let him run.

Within the center of the arena, Jakotem stood silently stunned until the full weight of Kitanya's words sunk in and then the bear youkai began to laugh. "The half-breed? You would choose something so pathetic to represent you?"

Fed up with years of putting up with Jakotem's shit, Kitanya found her backbone and snarled, "That half-breed has more honor and integrity in the tip of one claw than you have in the entirety of your overinflated ego."

Lips pulling back, Jakotem's nostrils flared. Seeing the deteriorating conditions, the moderator swiftly moved into action. "Lady Kitanya, the one you have chosen is a submissive and by the laws of the Gathering, it is forbidden for a dominant to injure a submissive breeder."

Swallowing hard, Kitanya nervously fidgeted. This was an obstacle she had foreseen, but also one that could be overcome, assuming she did not gauge the character of the hanyou wrong. "It is within the submissive's right to forgo those privileges."

Head bent, the moderator thought on Kitanya's words before finally nodding. "Very well, but we must first gain permission from the Lord of the East, within whose lands you dwell as well as the Lord that rules the Lands the hanyou hails from." Shaking his head, the moderator added, "Even with their permission, I find it difficult to believe any submissive would take such a risk, especially when there is no hope of an actual mating coming from it."

"We can only ask Inuyasha and see what his response is."

Agreeing with the bear submissive, the moderator first turned to the hanyou. "The half-breed known as Inuyasha shall come forward."

Frozen, Inuyasha could barely breathe, let alone move. "Kouga?"

"I don't know what that bear youkai's thinkin', but you don't gotta do shit, Inuyasha. Just turn around and get the fuck outta here."

Head still but eyes darting, Inuyasha took in all the hostile faces and eyes, some of which seemed more perplexed and anticipatory than malicious. "Is she askin' what I think she is?"

"If ya mean is Kitanya askin' you to fight Jakotem so she doesn't have to mate his worthless hide, then yeah, she's askin' what you think."

"And if I say no?"

"Listen, mutt, you don't owe her jackshit."

Breaths surprisingly even, Inuyasha looked into Kitanya's eyes and knew what his answer would be. No, he didn't owe Kitanya anything; didn't even know her for that matter. But just like the day he'd risked his life to save those two scarred, hurt wolf cubs, Inuyasha would not turn his back, especially when specifically asked to help.

Smiling at the sheer ridiculous nature of what was happening, the hanyou let loose a small chuckle. "She must be pretty damn desperate to ask for help from me."

With that one statement, Kouga felt his shoulders slump with the knowledge that Inuyasha wouldn't back down. Then again, the hanyou he respected could be expected to do nothing less. "Don't suppose I can change your mind."

"-Keh, when have you ever been able to do that?" Cocking his head up, Inuyasha's amber eyes sparkled as he began moving forward, Kouga's hand jutting forward to grab his forearm before he'd taken two steps. "Dogbreath?"

Lips turned up into a mischievous smirk, Kouga tilted his head in the moderator's direction. "You think I'd miss this?"

"This ain't your fight, besides, I don't think it'll do your ass any favors for it to get back to your father and all those old farts on the wolf council that you supported me in somethin' like this."

"As if I give a fuck about that."

Eyes narrowed, Inuyasha could only shake his head before shrugging. "Do what ya want."

"That's the spirit!"

With an eye roll, Inuyasha turned and began walking again. "Come on, dogbreath, let's get this shit over with."

Shifting his weight to the balls of his feet, Kouga darted after the hanyou. "Okay, but you sure as hell better win this thing."

Striding forwards, Inuyasha gave an indignant huff. "Of course I'm gonna win."

"I'm just sayin', Jakotem's pretty damn big."

"That ain't nothin'. Damn brute doesn't even try and suppress his youkai and the only ones who do that are the ones that already know they're inferior and feel like they got somethin' to prove."

Kouga's smile only widened as they drew closer. Perceptive as always, sometimes Kouga wondered why he kept being surprised by his friend.

::::::::::

Golden eyes narrowed and focused, Sesshomaru watched the InuHanyou stride forward, the wolf a constant by Inuyasha's side. Within his own body, the Prince of the West was fighting his own battle. Restless and uneasy, Sesshomaru felt as if his youkai was pacing with its desire to be closer to the half-breed. Watching closely, Sesshomaru noted Inuyasha indicated no fear or hesitance as he walked across that empty, grassy field, its surrounding occupants hushed with an eerie silence.

From behind him, Sesshomaru heard Miroku sigh loudly before the monk closed the short distance to stand immediately at his right. "Well, I guess I can't fault him for this."

A slight eyebrow arch was the only response Sesshomaru gave, but it was enough for Miroku to continue. "I asked Inuyasha to stay out of trouble and away from the bear youkai and from the looks of things, he tried." Staff gripped tightly, Miroku shook his head. "I knew I didn't like the way she was looking at him."

With frustration boiling below the surface, Sesshomaru found it much easier to channel that frustration into anger. "You suspected this?"

Hearing the icier than normal tone, Miroku's body stilled. "No . . . I mean, I thought there was something, but I never suspected Lady Kitanya would do something like this." Miroku was an excellent judge of character and mostly that came from close observation combined with exceptional instincts, but even as good as he was, there was no way he'd of ever thought Kitanya this desperate.

Going silent once more, Sesshomaru barely noted any activity beyond that of the hanyou. Would Inuyasha really accept the role of Champion? Champions were rarely called for and even rarer still was when one accepted the challenge and to Sesshomaru's knowledge, asking a submissive breeder to do so was unheard of. And then there was the simple fact that it was against Gathering law for a dominant to injure a submissive breeder, well, unless Inuyasha waved that right.

Eyes fixed upon the brilliant red of the hanyou's firerat robes, Sesshomaru watched as the wolf laughed while Jakotem fumed. From this distance, he could not hear what was being said and wondered just how long he'd be able to restrain his youkai and keep from marching out onto that damned field and demanding to know what was going on.

::::::::::

Stuffing his hands deep within the folds of his firerat, Inuyasha stood before the moderator, never once looking in Jakotem's direction. At his side, the hanyou felt Kouga come up almost even with his body, but stayed just a step or two behind. This was, after all, Inuyasha's show and the wolf would respect that.

"You are the half-breed known as Inuyasha?"

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Inuyasha noted the moderator didn't seem to mean the term in its usual offensive way, but more of a definition of what he was. "Yeah, that's me."

Nodding once, the moderator lifted a taloned finger in Lady Kitanya's direction. "Lady Kitanya, Heir of the Eastern Bear Tribe, has requested you as Champion against the claim Jakotem has made to mate her. Do you understand the meaning of this request?"

Amber eyes shifting towards Kitanya, Inuyasha felt the wave of desperate need lying deep within and yet beyond that was a fortitude of arrogance wrapped around the bear submissive like a shield. "I think I got the gist of it." Hooking a thumb in Jakotem's direction, Inuyasha stated, "Ya want me to kick this guy's ass so you don't gotta mate him. That about right?"

As reward for his blunt statement, Kitanya gave a small smile while Jakotem growled low, his voice full of loathing. "It is beneath me to fight something this pathetic and weak."

Rocking back on his heels, Kouga's tail swished merrily, the smirk on his face fast becoming a permanent structure. "Spoken like someone who's scared they're about to get their ass handed to 'em."

Smirk widening into something down right feral, Kouga never flinched when Jakotem jerked forward, the arm of the moderator shooting out and holding the large bear in place. Blinking once, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed down on that seemingly innocuous hand, once more reminded that size meant very little in the youkai world for the moderator was little more than his own height and easily held the larger bear at bay with barely an effort.

Ignoring Jakotem's tirade, the moderator directed his attention back on Inuyasha. "Never before has a submissive requested another submissive as Champion. As per Gathering law, it is forbidden for a dominant to injure a submissive of breeding status, therefore, should you accept Lady Kitanya's request, you would need to forgo your rights on this matter. In other words, should the battle go poorly for you, Jakotem would no longer be bound by this legal dictum and your life could very well be forfeit. Do you understand this?"

Without hesitation, Inuyasha answered a brief, "Yes." And when then asked if he were willing to wave such rights, his answer was another immediate, "Yes." To some, they would think the hanyou did not truly understand, but they would have been wrong. Death was a suitor Inuyasha had courted almost all his life. When he was injured beyond the tolerance of pain, frozen to the very core of his marrow, or felt the fangs of hunger crippling his gut, the fear of Death turned into one of longing. Inuyasha had danced with Death many times and at the end of each and every turn upon the floor, Death had released the hanyou back into the crowd, only to find his favorite partner again and again, repeating their painful courtship until the day would come that he was not released, but held forever in that powerful grip.

And so, looking into the eyes of Kitanya, Inuyasha knew the submissive bear youkai was facing a fate far worse than death should she be required to actually mate with Jakotem. Although he did not seek death and fought its eternal embrace with everything he had, Inuyasha knew there were far worse fates and he would go to battle with Death once more if it would mean saving another from living such a pain filled life. Win or loose, the relief he saw wash across Kitanya's face at his acquiescence was good enough.

Silently, the moderator looked down on the small and obviously young InuHanyou before him. When Kitanya had first made her request, he'd thought the bear submissive to be quite insane, but now . . . now he was beginning to see what the lady had. This half-breed submissive had something . . . something rarely seen and he could only hope he was not about to be made witness to the demise of such an intriguing creature.

Pulling out of his revelry, the moderator placed his hands behind his back. "Very well, to continue, we shall need the permission of the Lord of the East's representative as well as the Lord of the lands from whence you hail, young InuHanyou."

Face scrunching up in confusion, Inuyasha looked to Kouga. "Do you know who he's talkin' about, dogbreath?"

Reaching up, Kouga scratched at the back of a pointed ear as he thought over the question. He didn't have a clue where Inuyasha actually originated from, but the mutt had lived in Kaede's village long enough that he thought it would be fair to just go with that. Unfortunately that meant, "The Western Lands."

Amber eyes wide, Inuyasha's heart pounded in his chest as he heard the moderator call out, "Would the representatives from the Eastern and Western Lands please come forward."

 _Probably not a fulfilling chapter for many of you, but definitely moving in that direction. I believe the next chapter is the one most of you are waiting on. Finally we'll get to see a little Sesshomaru/Inuyasha direct action. Oh, and Sunhawk . . . you might want to fire up the grill ready because "bear-ka-bobs" are definitely coming up on the menu :-)_

 _Next update should be on Sunday. Until then, I hope you all have a good rest of the week. If you have time to review, I'd love to hear your thoughts._

 _lunamist_


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi everyone. Glad to see that so many liked the mid-week update. Most of you are anxiously awaiting this weeks update since Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are going to finally be meeting face to face. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Some of you don't seem to like Kitanya much, but I hope she's a character that will grow on you. She's not as weak as she seems (at least, not in my eyes). I also appreciated some of the reviews regarding the paragraph regarding Inuyasha's dealings with "Death"._

 _My brain is so scattered tonight that it will be a minor miracle if I get this loaded properly. Since that is the case, I'll stop with the chit-chat and get straight to it. This is one of the longer chapters, so I hope you all enjoy that. Oh . . . almost forgot to thank those reviewers that pointed out that I've been using the wrong spelling of "vile" (using vial instead). Thanks so much for that. I'll try and correct it in the future :-)_

 _Chapter 8 . . ._

Sesshomaru didn't need to be told twice and immediately began striding across the field, his footfalls silent and to all outward appearances, his manner one of aloof ease. Behind him, he could hear the soft tinkling of Miroku's staff indicating the monk had taken it upon himself to follow. To his left, a sleek hawk youkai mirrored his movements. The name of the hawk youkai was of little importance for it would not be him they would soon be speaking with, but the Lord of the East himself, Bellial.

Without thought, Sesshomaru placed himself between the hanyou and the dominant bear youkai Inuyasha was most likely to do battle with. Discretely tilting his head to the side, Sesshomaru breathed in the intoxicating scent that the InuHanyou always seemed to be radiating. Having not had the opportunity of being this close before, he was pleased to learn that rather than overwhelming, the scent was simply more enjoyable from this close proximity.

Feeling his youkai settle a little, Sesshomaru was able to relax slightly but being this close was far too great of a temptation to resist entirely. Ever so gently, Sesshomaru moved mokomoko, allowing just the slightest touch of fur against the hanyou's hand. Reflexively, Inuyasha's skin shivered as flushed warmth spread into the half-breed's cheeks. Sesshomaru was even more pleased when Inuyasha did not pull away, but instead he felt the softest of pressure as the hanyou's clawed fingers gingerly dug a little deeper into the depths of his fur.

A little lost in the sensation, Sesshomaru barely heard the moderator as he summed up the conversation they had not been privy to. Reluctantly pulling mokomoko back, Sesshomaru forced his attention to focus.

"Representative of the East, I request an audience with the Lord of the Eastern Lands."

Eyes going pitch black as his pupils blew wide, the hawk youkai opened his mouth to speak, but it looked no more than a puppet with someone else controlling the strings. "I am Lord Bellial of the Eastern Lands. It appears as if we have a bit of interesting mischief at this year's Gathering."

Bowing slightly at the waist, the moderator indicated his respect. "You have heard and understood the situation, my Lord?"

Turning his head, the hawk youkai's black eyes looked once at Jakotem and then at Kitanya. "I have heard and understand, however, one must wonder as to the circumstances that would lead one of Lady Kitanya's character to request such a thing."

Vaguely, Sesshomaru saw Jakotem stiffen at Lord Bellial's words, but there was little else in the way of response.

"The hanyou has agreed to the request and waived his rights as a submissive breeder. Does the Lord of the East have any objections?"

Endless black orbs settling in on Inuyasha, the hawk youkai was silent for a moment before finally shaking his head. "No, the Lord of the East has no objections. Prince Sesshomaru, what says the West?"

"If it is the will of the InuHanyou, the West does not object."

Beside Inuyasha, Kouga stood a little stunned. He wasn't sure what he'd expected Sesshomaru to say, but somehow, that wasn't it. There was no sly comment about Inuyasha's half-breed status, no questioning the validity that the hanyou really was from the Western Lands, no real dissent at all. In fact, whether he knew it or not, Sesshomaru had given the best, most respectful response he could have by stating, 'If it is the will of the hanyou'.

Unlike Kouga, Jakotem wasn't just stunned, but appalled and insulted. He could not believe he was being reduced to something like this – that he had to fight something as inferior as this half-breed.

Content with the answers, the moderator stated, "If there are no further objections – "

"Like hell there aren't!" Jakotem snarled. Pointing a brutish, clawed hand in Inuyasha's direction, the dominant bear sneered, "You insult me to suggest I must battle such a pathetic creature. This thing isn't even a youkai."

Lips pulled back in a growl, Kouga was ready to rend flesh from bones when his mouth clamped shut, Sesshomaru's calm, cold voice falling onto the field. "This Sesshomaru is beginning to believe there are other reasons you do not wish to fight the hanyou." Turning to the hawk youkai, Sesshomaru addressed the Lord of the East. "It appears as if the bear tribe is in need of greater leadership."

Going from irritated to pissed, Jakotem shouted, "He's just a no account submissive. What guarantee do I have that he won't cower in fear, turn tail and run when he realizes he's about to die."

Finally worked up, Inuyasha's lips pulled back in a hiss. "That's the second time you've questioned my word, asshole."

Leaning back, Jakotem crossed his massive arms over his chest, his eyes taunting. "And just why should I take the word of a half-breed? I'm not about to go into a fight with such an unworthy opponent, it would be a waste of both time and energy."

Kouga raised a fist. "You overgrown pile of – "

"Jakotem," Sesshomaru's deathly even voice stopped Kouga mid-rant. "Is it this Sesshomaru's understanding that the main objection you have to this confrontation is that you believe the hanyou's skills and character are not as great as your own, that you believe the battle would prove to be unsatisfying?"

As foolish as he was, Jakotem still felt a shiver of fear inch its way up his spine at the utter lack of emotion in Prince Sesshomaru's words. Arms lowering, the bear dominant gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah, that about sums it up. No youkai of my standing would ever agree to fight such a disgraceful battle."

Face passive, Miroku stared between Jakotem and Sesshomaru, a small smile beginning to take root at what he expected next. Thankfully, the Heir of the West did not disappoint.

"If that is the case, then might I allay your _fears_. Should the hanyou prove disappointing in battle or, as you say, run away . . . then this Sesshomaru would be more than willing to take Inuyasha's place."

While Jakotem paled, Inuyasha turned livid. "Hey, jackass, I don't need you steppin' in with nothin'. I'm more than capable of takin' care of this prick."

Finally turning the full weight of his attention on the hanyou, Sesshomaru's golden eyes stared, his senses taking in everything. "This Sesshomaru is looking forward to seeing you prove such a statement. I only seek to sooth this bear youkai's concerns."

Flushing a deep scarlet, Inuyasha couldn't look away, nor could he stop his nose from pulling in one delicious breath after another. Gods above, the hanyou thought Sesshomaru smelled better than the juiciest slice of meat roasting on a fire. At the thought of food, Inuyasha's stomach gave a desperate growl of hunger.

Frowning at the noise, Sesshomaru didn't like the thought that the half-breed was in such a state of want, especially with the coming battle. Hunger could sharpen or dull the senses depending upon how great the need. "You require sustenance. When the battle is through, I shall bring you food." Looking towards the wolf, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "I had assumed the wolf was seeing to such needs."

Offended in his own right, Kouga defended himself. "Now wait just a damn minute! It's not like I didn't offer, but the mutt is so gods be damned stubborn, he –"

Embarrassed from the tips of his ears to the ends of his clawed toes, Inuyasha erupted. "I don't need help from dogbreath and I sure as shit don't need it from some stuck up youkai prince."

Never before in his life had anyone dared talk to him in such a way and had it been anyone else, Sesshomaru would have cleanly separated their head from their neck. And yet, looking down at the fuming hanyou with his absurdly twitching puppydog ears, Sesshomaru couldn't muster anything more than amusement. And nothing ever amused him.

Ignoring the rant, Sesshomaru merely stated, "It is decided. When this battle is finished, you will be fed."

" _Decided_! We haven't decided shit, I – "

Laying a hand on the hanyou's shoulder, Miroku's smile was broad enough that his eyes crinkled closed in response. "Perhaps this could be decided at a later date. For now, I believe Jakotem is in need of . . . well, I'm really not sure what at the moment."

Mind reeling, Jakotem barely paid attention to anything that happened after hearing that Sesshomaru was _offering_ to take the hanyou's place. He'd thought he'd been so clever, weaving together a string of reasons why this battle was beneath him but instead, he'd done nothing more than back himself into a corner. He would never be able to refuse now, if he did, all would think him a coward and he'd loose all standing. Eyes narrowed and full of hate, Jakotem vowed that he would make Kitanya pay and pay dearly for this, and not only her, but that worthless half-breed as well.

As quiet descended once more, Jakotem realized they were all awaiting his answer, but if he was going to have to do this, then by the gods, he was going to get more out of it than a mating with that worthless Kitanya. "Fine, Kitanya can have the hanyou as her Champion, but if I win, the hanyou is mine."

Shaking his head, the moderator answered, "That is not within the rules of this battle."

"Neither is having a submissive fight in a dominant battle," Jakotem replied, the sneer on his face full of vicious malice. "If I'm agreeing to the given terms, then the hanyou has to agree to become mine." Eyes raking up and down Inuyasha's figure with lecherous intent, Jakotem added, "He's not too bad on the eyes, stinks like a half-breed, but I still think I could manage to get it up and fuck him. If Kitanya turns out not to be a good breeder, then I can always use him to get what I want."

Kitanaya was mortified. "That is disgraceful!"

Turning on the bear submissive, Jakotem pointed a finger in her direction. "No more disgraceful than forcing me to fight with this half-breed."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha brutally squashed his growing fear. Becoming nothing more than a breeder to some jerk-off like Jakotem struck at the heart of one of his greatest horrors. Beside him, Inuyasha could feel Kouga's muscles pull tight with anger, his friend's voice ripe with his growing ire. "I knew you were scum, but you are lower than the lowest youkai I've ever met."

Miroku barely kept an ear open to what was being said, his eyes carefully watching the InuYoukai beside him, knowing that Jakotem had most likely just ended his own pathetic life with those words. Unlike those around him, Miroku knew Sesshomaru and could read the Heir of the West's body language and right now, that language said Sesshomaru was fighting for calm. Standing as still as granite, not even the wind touched the InuYoukai's skin for Sesshomaru's angered youkai was boiling over his alabaster flesh.

Most likely, only a few seconds passed before Sesshomaru controlled his youkai enough to pull its power back inside himself and Miroku relaxed a fraction of an inch when he saw the edges of mokomoko bend with the breeze. With slaughter at least delayed, Miroku turned his attention back to the field in time to see Kitanya come forward, her brown eyes pleading as she begged the hanyou to back down. "Please, it is not worth this kind of risk. I would never have asked such a thing if I had known this would be a possibility. I would never condemn you to the kind of life I am facing."

But Inuyasha only shook his head, a small smile curling his lips. "And here I thought you believed in me."

Taken slightly aback, Kitanya's large brown eyes were rimmed in tears. "It isn't that, it's just . . . this is too big of a risk, if you lost, I – "

"Hey, stop bein' all negative. Like I'd ever loose to this jackass."

"Inuyasha?"

"Worryin' never accomplished anything so just sit back and relax. I don't plan on givin' up so don't you give up on me, okay."

Sucking in a deep breath, Kitanya gave a watery smile before nodding her head. "If you're certain."

"-Keh, as certain as I ever am about anything." Taking two steps forward, Inuyasha looked at the moderator before staring up at Jakotem. "I accept the terms, as repulsive as they are."

Whispering a quiet, "Fuck," Kouga could only shake his head. There was no way in hell he was going to let this happen, death on the line was one thing, but becoming a breeder to . . . that, no way in fucking hell. Opening his mouth, Kouga was about ready to do, most likely something very stupid, when he felt the weight of Miroku's hand on his shoulder accompanied by a quiet, "Wait."

Before he knew it, Kouga found they had all moved back towards the edge of the arena, leaving Inuyasha, Jakotem and the moderator where they were. Opening his mouth, Kouga was once more silenced by Miroku's single answer of, "Wait."

Smiling, Miroku was pleased when he heard Sesshomaru's deathly quiet voice speaking with the hawk youkai and thus to the Lord of the East himself. Inclining his head in the InuYoukai's direction the monk quietly added, "Listen."

"Lord Bellial, should the hanyou fail, do you object to this Sesshomaru killing Jakotem?"

Kouga watched as the dainty hawk youkai snorted in amusement. "And if I said, yes?"

"I would hate to break so many years of peace between our Lands."

Head tilted to the side, the hawk youkai's black eyes narrowed in observation and thought. "The half-breed is this important?"

The silence that met his question was answer enough and caused a wide grin to appear upon the hawk youkai's face. "I should not be surprised. You have never cared for beauty or breeding. To some, this would seem an odd choice, but I believe he suites you and that Lord Inu no Taisho shall be pleased." Staring back out onto the field, Bellial's voice was cold with disdain. "Jakotem's death would be no great loss. Truth be told, you killing him would most likely save me the trouble." With a final nod of his head, the Lord of the East gave his consent. "You may do with Jakotem as you will, however, I suspect your intervention shall be unneeded. For a half-breed, the InuHanyou appears formidable. Jakotem is twice the fool."

Listening, Kouga wasn't certain he understood exactly what was going on, but he at least understood one thing, even if Inuyasha lost, he'd never have to suffer at the hands of Jakotem. But, did that mean Inuyasha would belong to Sesshomaru? And if so, would that really be any better for his friend?

Witnessing the emotional barrage flaring across Kouga's face, Miroku could only guess at the thought's going through the wolf prince's mind. "You do not appear to have nearly the faith in Inuyasha that he had in you when you fought your battle for the Lady Ayame."

Pulled from his musings, Kouga looked properly offended. "Muttface can take down that asshole, I ain't got not worries there."

Cocking his head to the side, Miroku's eyebrows lifted in disbelief. "And yet, you do not look that confident."

Digging his clawed toes into the ground, Kouga's blue eyes stared out onto the field. Inuyasha had a good chance, a damn good chance, but it was true, he was still worried. "He'll win, because he has to. But most likely, it ain't gonna be pretty. The mutt can take a lot of damage, a hell of a lot, it's just . . . gods above, that kid just can't seem to catch a break. He shouldn't have to get the shit beat outta him, not for somethin' like this."

"Ah, I see then." Loosening his grip on his staff, Miroku listened as the moderator explained the battle as well as the terms agreed upon to the surrounding youkai, pleased when most reacted with disgust at the part where the hanyou would become Jakotem's un-willful slave and potential breeder.

Stomping a foot into the soft soil, Kouga gave a soft growl. "Sometimes I just wish he wasn't so damn noble."

Smile soft and knowing, Miroku could only shake his head and answer, "Then Inuyasha would not be Inuyasha."

Scratching the back of an ear, Kouga looked up and across the field to the rest of the wolves, easily catching Ayame's eye as well as her supportive smile. Silently, he watched his intended mate confidently nod her head before looking in Inuyasha's direction. Chuckling softly, Kouga sucked in a deep breath before shouting, "Kick his worthless ass, Inuyasha!"

Hearing the ear-shattering scream, Sesshomaru only just managed not to flinch and yet, he found he could not disagree with the general sentiment. Angered, the Heir of the West was currently more curious than outraged. He'd wanted to know the true skill of the hanyou and despite the less than desirable way it was happening, Sesshomaru couldn't deny that he was intrigued to see just what the half-breed was capable of. To his satisfaction, the hanyou did not disappoint.

::::::::::

Ignorant of the conversation between Sesshomaru and the Lord of the East, Inuyasha only knew that, more than any fight before, he had to win this one. A life spent at the whims of a youkai like Jakotem would be far worse than death.

"You have both agreed to the terms and conditions discussed earlier," the moderator announced. "Your agreements are binding and cannot be changed now or during any moment within the coming battle. I shall decide the winner, or in the event one of you is killed, the one still alive shall be winner by default."

Hearing the words, Inuyasha nodded, his amber eyes fixed while his muscles tensed in anticipation.

"Once I give the word, you may begin." Having nothing further to say, the moderator began making his way off the field, leaving a seemingly fragile InuHanyou alone to battle a muscle-bound dominant bear youkai.

With the moderator fading into the distance, Jakotem's lips curled back, his face turning into something vile. "Don't worry, little half-breed, I'm not going to kill you, at least, not today. No, I think you'll have a long, painful life. I plan on using your body, maybe I'll even do it during meetings or in front of visiting youkai just to show them what happens to those that oppose me. We'll find out just how fertile you are."

As quickly as he could, Inuyasha boxed up the fear piercing his chest. "You gotta win first, and I guarantee that ain't happenin' today, jackass."

"I'll be sure to beat that cockiness out of you soon."

"Better youkai than you've tried and failed," Inuyasha smirked.

Jakotem pulled back his lips, ready to retort when that annoying wolf's voice floated over the field, making the bear snarl and Inuyasha smirk. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint dogbreath." No more had those words passed through the hanyou's lips than both he and Jakotem heard the moderator's voice say, "Begin."

Within an instant, Inuyasha was body slammed by Jakotem, easily sending the hanyou flying and the bear cackling with glee. "That all you got, half-breed."

Wiping a small bead of blood from his split lip, Inuyasha smiled and whispered a hate filled, "Hardly," before charging forward.

Silently watching from the sidelines, Sesshomaru took in every move, his observant, calculating eyes missing nothing. To be certain, the hanyou's fighting style was, at best crude. But interestingly enough, it was Inuyasha's completely unorthedoxed patterns that were one of his greatest strengths. Given the hanyou's size, most would have put him at a disadvantage and that was true when Jakotem was actually able to get in a direct hit, but those instances were rare. Light on his feet, Inuyasha weaved in and around Jakotem, his attacks seemingly random and yet deceptively deliberate. Claws just as sharp as any pureblooded youkai, the hanyou struck where it would do the most damage, both to muscle and blood supply. As Sesshomaru watched, it was clear Inuyasha had a simple, yet effective two way attack – should he not be able to bring Jakotem down forcefully, then given enough time, the bear would wind up bleeding out. All Inuyasha had to do was have enough stamina to outlast Jakotem; something Sesshomaru was becoming increasingly convinced was possible.

Whistling low, Miroku smiled. "He certainly is persistent."

Kouga gave a grunt. "Ya got no idea." Shaking his head, the wolf frowned. "Even as a half-breed, Inuyasha's stronger than most pure youkai I've faced. But as much as I detest Jakotem, there's a reason he's been able to gain the support of the bear youkai and it ain't because of his brains. I know what the mutt's capable of and to win this fight, he's gonna have to work for it. It's gonna be slow and bloody."

"But in the end?"

"Inuyasha'll be the one left standin'. The mutt's used to this kind of thing and Jakotem ain't. Chances are pretty good that asshole has won his fights quick and painless seein' how he's more brawn than brain. He's never fought anyone like Inuyasha and you can already see how frustrated Jakotem's gettin'. He can't figure out how or why the mutt keeps gettin' back up when he manages to land a direct hit. Most likely he's been able to take down his opponents when just one of those damned things made contact."

Silently listening to the conversation, Sesshomaru could see the validity of the wolf's words. Frustrated and weakening, Jakotem's attacks were increasingly desperate and ill planned. In the end, the bear was becoming his own worst enemy and wasting precious energy when there was little to spare. Unfortunately, what was just as true was the hanyou's condition. To get close enough to actually land a blow, Inuyasha risked getting hit and although he was quick, the bear appeared to be getting lucky enough to inflict a fair amount of damage. It was clear Inuyasha's speed was diminishing, but his determination seemed to have only increased. The hanyou would indeed be the victor, but the cost would be high.

Having been silent throughout, Kouga was surprised when he heard Sesshomaru ask, "You have battled the hanyou on multiple occasions?"

Refusing to take his eyes from the field, Kouga nodded and answered a quick, "Yeah, what of it?"

"Is this Sesshomaru to believe you have seen Inuyasha injured then?"

Taking a quick glance over, Kouga's mind automatically began skimming through images of a broken and bleeding Inuyasha, his worst injuries having little to nothing to do with their spars. "I've seen him pretty bad, although that wasn't caused by me. Just what is it you want to know?"

"Being a half-breed, I was merely questioning his ability to heal."

Kouga could only scoff. "He'll heal just fine. He might take a little longer than us, but you won't hear him complain about it." Hands on hips, Kouga's tail switched back and forth in irritation. "Damn mutt would let himself bleed to death before he'd ask anybody to put pressure on the wound."

"In the future, such actions will be both unnecessary and unacceptable."

Head tilting to the side, Kouga kept his gaze on the battle, but his eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Just what are you planin', Sesshomaru?"

"You address one of my station far too casually, wolf and this Sesshomaru's intentions are his own."

Growling low, Kouga was about to do something immensely stupid when Miroku casually pushed his staff forward, its trajectory placing it strategically between the two youkai. "It appears as if the moderator is about to make his ruling."

Pissed that he'd let himself get distracted, Kouga let out a huff before turning his attention back on the field. In an instant, the wolf's anger was forgotten, replaced with satisfied joy. At the southern end of the field, Jakotem laid sprawled out on his back, his own weight pinning both arms at awkward angles beneath his large form. Leaning over, silvery-white strands of hair streaked in crimson, one of Inuyasha's clawed hands encircled the massive bear youkai's neck, the other hand pulled back, his red tipped claws poised to slice through Jakotem's jugular.

Grin wild and proud, Kouga hooted a, "Fuck yeah!" into the air.

::::::::::

Panting and heaving, Inuyasha felt the burn of every breath as it was pulled through his aching chest. Bloodied and bruised, he figured there were probably more than a few cracked, if not broken, ribs rattling around, but it was nothing he couldn't heal from, eventually. He'd be sore as fuck for a while, but it would be more than worth it. Hell, even with his body screaming in pain, it was already worth it to be able to look down on Jakotem's beaten body.

Lost to his own thoughts, the hanyou missed the moderator's approach until he heard the calm and even voice. "Inuyasha, chosen Champion of the Lady Kitanya of the Eastern Bear Tribe, I find you the victor of this battle. Jakotem's life is at your disposal, should you wish it terminated, the law of the Gathering gives you the right to do so."

Painful as it was, Inuyasha forced the words through his throat. "N-no mat-ter what . . . K-Kitanya . . . she don't g-got to mate him?"

"Alive or dead, Jakotem no longer has any mating rights to the Lady Kitanya."

"-Keh, he ain't worth k-killin'." Satisfied, Inuyasha backed off, barely managing not to stumble as he climbed down from the mountain known as Jakotem's chest.

With Inuyasha's weight removed, Jakotem drew in a desperate breath. Exhausted and broken, the bear youkai couldn't believe what had just happened – what he had allowed to happen. "W-wait j-j-just a damn . . . minute."

Looking down, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he straightened. "There's nothin' to wait on. You lost, get over it."

Rolling over, Jakotem managed to get his arms under him, pushing his body up, ready to protest further. Raising his head, the bear found his eyes staring at the ankles of the moderator. "Jakotem, the outcome of this battle has already been decided. Words are no longer necessary as your actions have already spoken for you." Turning his back, the moderator effectively dismissed Jakotem as he called, "Lady Kitanya, come forward."

Face awash in relief and unbelievable joy, Kitanya ran forward, her heart lighter than it had been in years. Feet sliding to a stop, Kitanya bowed low to first the moderator and then Inuyasha. "I willingly accept the outcome of this battle." Going down on her knees, the bear submissive prostrated herself in front of the hanyou, her nose kissing the ground as she stated, "The hanyou, Inuyasha has my eternal gratitude and as per the rules of the Reckoning, my servitude as well."

Stunned, Inuyasha's mouth gaped open. "S-servitude? I don't . . . what the fuck are you talkin' about? I just beat this guy so you can make your own decisions, not so . . . not for this."

Infuriated eyes glistening with hate, Jakotem stared at the scene before him. All of them, they were all ignoring him! And Kitanya, that damn female had done nothing but look down on him all his life, always thinking she was better than him and now . . . now she had the gall to prostrate herself, to go down upon her knees in front of that half-breed. How dare she embarrass him like this!

Hate. All consuming hate swam through Jakotem's blood like a living thing. In the dominant bear's mind, nothing existed but the need to eradicate – to utterly destroy. Eyes a blazing red, Jakotem found just enough energy to force himself to his knees, finally raising to the balls of his feet before launching his body forward, arm extended and razor sharp claws at the ready.

Feeling the explosion of youkai energy behind him, Inuyasha turned in time to see the absolute fury in Jakotem's eyes before the bear lunged to strike, not at him, but the kneeling Kitanya. Without thought of the consequences, the hanyou threw his body forward and over the smaller bear, shielding her from attack at the cost of his own life. Breathless and waiting for the inevitable pain, Inuyasha reflexively gripped Kitanya closer and tighter when an even larger, oppressive wave of youkai energy flooded his senses.

Heaving for breath, Inuyasha waited, his body an aching wound from the previous battle and yet, all around him, there was nothing but silence broken by an audible _crack_ and deep wail splitting the fading day. Finally daring to look up, Inuyasha was stunned to silence.

White and gleaming in the fading light, Sesshomaru stood, the silvery-white strands of his hair billowing around his body as the Heir of the West's powerful youkai swirled around him. Twitching back and forth in fury, mokomoko lashed about the InuYoukai's legs and beyond that, laid Jakotem. In one deceptively delicate hand, Sesshomaru gripped Jakotem's arm, the appendage bent in the wrong direction, the bone shattered. Body crumpled in on itself, the bear youkai hung suspended from that grip, his face one of incomparable agony.

Fighting the fine tremors assaulting his body, Inuyasha stayed rooted to his spot, his ears perking to attention when he heard Sesshomaru's cold, calm voice ask, "Inuyasha, are you unharmed?"

Figuring the InuYoukai was asking more about what just happened than the injuries he'd sustained within the battle, Inuyasha answered, "I'm okay." Releasing his firm grip upon the bear submissive, the hanyou questioned, "How 'bout you, Kitanya?"

Voice quiet but steady, Kitanya answered, "I am unharmed, master, thank you."

Ignoring the title for now, Inuyasha stood, his body sore and exhausted from the previous fight and what had just happened. "We're okay. I can handle him from here."

Sesshomaru only replied, "That will not be necessary."

"Listen, I don't need – "

"You have completed your part in the Reckoning with honor and dignity, hanyou. The filth lying within my hand is no longer your concern." Head turning slightly to the side, Sesshomaru looked past the hanyou to the hawk youkai from before. "Lord Bellial, disposal of this bear youkai is beneath this Sesshomaru, but should you wish it, his life shall be extinguished."

"Fuck, he ain't below me," Kouga growled. "If you don't wanna get your hands dirty, I'll be glad to oblige." Throwing out a leg, Kouga's foot landed solidly on Jakotem's abdomen, increasing the pressure Sesshomaru still had on the bear's broken arm. "Lousy piece of filth. You're nothin' but a disgrace."

Inuyasha had been so intent on Sesshomaru that he'd missed everyone else. Blinking once, it was clear to see that at some point, Kouga had come out and was now snarling murderously at Jakotem. Turning his head, to the right and slightly behind him, Miroku stood, his hand firmly gripping his staff and looking far too much like he was protecting the hanyou's backside.

To his left, the hawk youkai from before stepped forward, his narrowed black eyes staring dismissively down on Jakotem's writhing form. Face twisted with disgust, the Lord of the East held nothing but contempt. "My disappointment with the bear youkai tribe is only eclipsed by the disappointment I have in myself. It is evident I have been far too lenient with those within my lands." Eyes focusing in on Sesshomaru, Lord Bellial gave his answer. "Neither you nor the wolf need dirty your hands with such undeserving blood. Jakotem will be taken back into our lands." Giving a spine-chilling smile, Lord Bellial added, "I believe I would like some time to contemplate a punishment befitting Jakotem's behavior. It has been years since I've had an opportunity to be this. . . creative."

Given the Lord of the East's response, Sesshomaru opened his hand, releasing Jakotem, the bear youkai slumping to the ground in shame and pain. "If that is your wish."

"It is." Turning his attention to Kitanya, the hawk youkai gave a discrete bow. "Lady Kitanya, it is shameful that you needed to take such actions in order to bring to light the failures within your tribe. It is with sadness and regret that I release you from my rule and into the hands of the hanyou and consequently the Western Lands. May you find peace and purpose in your new life."

Bending low at the waist, Kitanya gave her respect. "Thank you, Lord Bellial."

Still not fully understanding what was going on, Inuyasha looked quizzically between the two. "Listen, I ain't nobody's master. I didn't do this for that reason and I sure as hell don't need some youkai bowin' down to me."

Reaching forward, Kitanya gripped the hanyou's hands within her own. Gently turning his bruised and bloodied fingers, she noted a few broken claws as well. Applying the barest of pressures, Kitanya turned large, appreciative eyes up at the hanyou. "I never expected you to wish or desire such a thing, nor did I think you agreed to earn my servitude, but that does not change the fact that you have it. I am bound to you, Inuyasha, and I have not felt this much pride about being connected to another in a long time. In whatever capacity I can be of service to you, I shall stay by your side, for you have saved my life and in so doing, now hold it within the palms of these hands."

Fighting Jakotem hadn't been nearly as frightening as what Kitanya was saying. Swallowing hard, Inuyasha could only shake his head. "You don't wanna follow me around, trust me on that. I don't even have a home, I – "

Placing a finger across the hanyou's lips, Kitanya only smiled. "My home is now with you. Whatever fate that lies with you is a far better one than I would have had with Jakotem."

Knowing Inuyasha's fears, Kouga came up and slapped the hanyou on the back, earning a barely contained grunt for his efforts. "She's right so stop thinkin' about it, at least for tonight. You should be celebratin' right about now, not lookin' like you're about ready to puke up your guts."

"For once, Kouga's right, Inuyasha." Looking up, Inuyasha blinked as Ayame moved closer. When the she-wolf had walked onto the field, he hadn't a clue. Cocking her head to the side, Ayame indicated a direction off the main field. "They still have time for a couple more presentations, boys. I think it's time we took this show off the main arena."

Smiling and nodding at Ayame, Kitanya couldn't agree more. "Indeed, I believe you are right. Plus, master Inuyasha is wounded and needs rest to recover."

Eyes wide and appalled, Inuyasha gaped, "What the . . . I don't need you worrin' about shit like that. I'm more than capable if takin' care of myself. Besides, this ain't even close to the worst I've ever had, so – "

Ignoring the rant completely, Kitanya looked to Sesshomaru. "Prince Sesshomaru, if I may be so bold as to ask, earlier I believe I heard a discussion between you and master Inuyasha regarding his lack of sustenance. I believe you mentioned something about being able to obtain food. If that is the case, I would like to retrieve this at once so that I might prepare something for him to eat."

"I already told him I don't need – "

Acting as if the hanyou wasn't even speaking, Sesshomaru began moving off the field, just as Ayame had suggested, the rest of the group following. "If you would like to begin seeing to the hanyou's wounds, I shall procure the necessary items and find you."

Blindly walking forward, Inuyasha couldn't believe what was happening, or how it had happened. It was as if his opinion on the matter meant nothing, his words little more than a waste of energy.

Now off the field, the group came to a halt, Kitanya giving another bow towards the Prince of the West. "Your assistance is much appreciated."

Nodding, Sesshomaru found the situation with Kitanya most advantageous. As another submissive, he had little to worry about with her being so close to Inuyasha. And, given the role he was planning for the hanyou, Kitanya's presence and loyalty would be doubly valuable. It was clear Inuyasha had no experience with nobility or court life. With the exception of the wolf, most likely, the hanyou had lived a life devoid of almost all social interaction with youkai. As Princess of the Eastern Bear Tribe, Kitanya could be expected to know youkai practices and her assistance would no doubt prove useful. The fact that the bear submissive was so indebted and bound to the hanyou was also . . . convenient.

Tired of being ignored, Inuyasha decided that if they really weren't going to listen to him, then there was no point hanging around. Tired, wounded, and fed-up, he mumbled a quiet, "Whatever," before turning to leave. He'd no more than raised a foot to take a step when he felt a firm but gentle hand touch his shoulder, effectively turning his body back around.

Head turned toward the slender fingers touching his shoulder, Inuyasha watched, wide-eyed as that hand slid up his neck, finally reaching his chin and raising his head. Soon, the hanyou felt his eyes captured by the shimmering gold of the Western Prince. Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha barely contained the whine of pleasure brought by the intoxicatingly protective scent radiating off the being before him. Blinking once, Inuyasha couldn't deny the beauty before him, that beauty made all the more breathtaking by the power it contained.

Eyes scrutinizing, Sesshomaru looked over each and every visible cut and bruise, silently wondering as to the extent of the hanyou's unseen injuries. "The wolf has informed me that despite being a half-breed, you heal well. Is this true?"

And just like with the moderator, when Sesshomaru called him a half-breed, the term seemed more of a definition than insult. Swallowing the dry lump in his throat, Inuyasha tried to nod but found the motion impossible with the InuYoukai's hand still holding his chin. Clearing his throat once, he finally managed a quiet, "Yeah, I heal okay."

Moving his thumb, Sesshomaru's sharp claw raked whisper-soft against Inuyasha's bruised skin. "I trust there is nothing life-threatening then?"

"No, nothin' that bad."

Eyes drifting up, Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha's puppydog ears twitch with obvious nervousness. It was interesting that the one thing that screamed the hanyou's mixed heritage was so intriguing, those furry appendages completely captivated his thoughts. Stopping himself from touching those ears, Sesshomaru brought his eyes back down to the hanyou. "You did well today and brought honor to the InuYoukai and Western Lands. This Sesshomaru is very pleased."

Face flushed, Inuyasha finally managed to pull his head away, immediately shifting his face so his bangs covered his eyes. "-Keh, I didn't do any of that for any pure-ass InuYoukai or the West. Hell, until today, I didn't even know I lived in the Western Lands."

Pulling his hand back, Sesshomaru's face betrayed none of his internal emotions. "Be that as it may, the outcome is the same and my statement remains valid." It took everything in Sesshomaru to turn from the hanyou, but he did it all the same. Looking to the hawk youkai and thus the Lord of the East, Sesshomaru gave a shallow bow. "Lord Bellial, this Sesshomaru has things he must attend to."

Looking back to the hanyou, Lord Bellial smiled. "It is understandable. May I be one of the first to wish you well in your future. Please give my regards to Lord Inu no Taisho."

Tilting his head down ever so slightly, Sesshomaru gave his thanks. "I will inform my father of your regards." With nothing further, the Heir of the West began walking away, mokomoko swaying gently behind him.

With a quick wave and short, "Goodbye, my friends," Miroku was soon taking off as well, leaving two wolves, one bear and one hanyou behind. Still blindly staring at Sesshomaru's retreating back, Inuyasha didn't see the look of deep contemplation pulling at Kouga's lips nor did he see when Ayame grabbed Kouga's hand and squeezed it, pulling the wolf out of his thoughts.

Staring into Ayame's eyes, Kouga was amazed at how much his mate to be could communicate without speaking a single word. Understanding, Kouga squeezed her hand in reply, whispering a quiet, "'Kay, I got it," before plastering a goofy grin on his face and elbowing Inuyasha in the side. "Well, mutt, thanks for not embarassin' me too much out there."

Turning, Inuyasha wanted to smack that cocky grin off Kouga's face, but turning so quickly had been stupid given the state of his body and instead of spouting off his displeasure, the hanyou clenched his fists against the stabbing pain jolting his body.

Seeing the grimace, Kouga frowned. The mutt had to be in a lot of pain to let something like that slip. "I think it's time for you to rest and heal up."

"I don't need you tellin' me what to do," Inuyasha panted through the ache in his chest.

"Stop bein' so damn stubborn. Gods above, one of these days you really are gonna die simply because you wouldn't listen to your own damn body."

"If I'd listened every time my body told me to take a break, I'd of died decades ago."

At this, Kouga could only sigh in understanding. "I'll concede that point, but right now, the threat's over and it's time to give your body what it wants." Looking to Kitanya, Kouga hooked a thumb in the hanyou's direction. "I don't envy your task, he's a stubborn fool."

Beside him, Ayame snorted. "No wonder the two of you get along so well."

"Hey – "

Whatever Kouga was going to say was interrupted by Kitanya's soft laughter. "Thank you for your concern, Prince Kouga. I will take your words into account and serve as well as I may be allowed."

Nodding once, Kouga looked to Inuyasha and gave a crooked grin, one fang glinting. "In all seriousness, mutt, you did good."

Blushing to the tips of his puppydog ears, Inuyasha watched as Ayame gave him a respectful nod of her head before pulling Kouga away and toward the wolf encampment, leaving him not as alone as he would have liked to have been. He needed to figure out what he was going to do with Kitanya. More mindful of his wounds, Inuyasha just turned his head this time, his eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a deep scowl. "We'll be discussin' this whole servant thing."

But Kitanya only shook her head. "To deny me this would shame me. If you turn me away, none will have me. Is that what you wish?" She'd only known the hanyou for a short time, but Kitanya was nothing if not a quick learner.

And just as she'd thought, Inuyasha looked righteously appalled by the idea. "N-no, that ain't what I want. Why on earth would you be shunned for me not needin' a servant?"

"Others would believe I was dismissed from your service because I was unable to please you and do my duty properly. Due to the rules of the Gathering and Reckoning, when I asked you to be my Champion, I willingly gave my life to your will. Should you turn me away, it sends a distinct message that you believe my life to be worthless."

"Fuck." Looking down at his toes, Inuyasha was beginning to get the sinking feeling that there was no way of getting out of this. How he was going to provide for Kitanya when he could barely do so for himself, he hadn't a clue. Fingers' squeezing into tight fists, Inuyasha didn't know what he was going to do, but just like everything else in life, he'd have to figure it out. With that thought in mind, the hanyou pulled his head up, his amber eyes firm with conviction. "Okay then, but don't call me master."

Head cocked to the side, Kitanya's glossy brown hair shifted over one shoulder. "Then what may I call you?"

"Just Inuyasha."

Giving a small frown, Kitanya didn't think that sounded nearly respectful enough. "But, that is simply your name with no honorific."

"It's fine. Most youkai, or humans for that matter, don't bother to call me by my name. They just call me . . . well, let's just say they call me a lot of other stuff instead. To me, callin' me by my name is showin' respect. Trust me, it's enough."

Saddened by the words, Kitanya knew she had no way of fully understanding, but if it made him feel better, then she would abide by the hanyou's wishes. "Very well, Inuyasha. Now, is there a particular place you have been staying while here?"

Reaching up, Inuyasha scratched behind a twitching ear. "Not really. I mean, I don't really have a group or tent or somethin'. Mostly I've just been sleepin' up in this big tree . . . "

"If you will lead the way, I will follow where you go."

Heading off, Inuyasha tried keeping his gait as normal as possible, refusing to show any type of pain or weakness. All the while, Kitanya kept an almost constant distance behind him, something he didn't like. "Hey, you don't gotta walk behind me."

"It would not be proper for me to walk at your side, Inuyasha." Hearing the complaint on his lips, Kitanya hastened to add, "I have compromised and agreed to call you Inuyasha instead of master, perhaps you could do the same when it comes to my position?"

Fuck, Kitanya was logical. Practical too. "Whatever," Inuyasha mumbled while continuing forward, his eyes focused on the large tree in the distance, its limbs stretched out toward the sky in a welcoming embrace.

Soon enough they were at the base, the rest of the Gathering encampment distant enough to at least give a semblance of peace. Giving a thankful pat to the trunk, Inuyasha turned his back to the massive tree and slid down, his ribs protesting almost every inch of descent. Once settled, the hanyou took a minute to control his breathing before finally relaxing back.

Squatting down in front of the InuHanyou, Kitanya reached into the folds of her short kimono, pulling out an animal hide used for carrying water. Pushing it forward, she offered the contents to the hanyou, unsurprised when he initially refused.

"You should save that for yourself."

"There are plenty of streams nearby, besides, I have two more where that came from."

Silvery-white eyebrow shooting up, Inuyasha stared more closely at the bear submissive, only now noting a few odd bulges here and there beneath her clothes, things that would easily be overlooked. "What else you got tucked away?"

With an oddly devious smile, Kitanya pulled open the outer layer of her kimono and began pulling things out. By the time she was done, there was a small, empty bag, a change of clothes, a thin fur blanket, three water bottles and a blade. "When I prepared this morning, I did so with the belief that I would not be returning to the bear tribe. I could not bring food or else they would have smelled it and questioned what I was intending."

Eyes traveling over the objects, Inuyasha felt a new wave of pride for the small submissive before him. Kitanya wasn't physically strong. She'd chosen a very dangerous path when she'd asked him to be her Champion. Had he lost, no doubt Jakotem would have made her life a misery. And if he won . . . she was placing her very life in the hands of a half-breed she knew next to nothing about. Given her choices, she'd taken a huge gamble that life could be better. She'd thrown away all she knew to risk uncertainty. She could have stayed where she was – her body safe, but her soul dying. Instead, she'd risked her life for the hope of what could be. No, Kitanya may not be physically strong, but she wasn't weak either.

Blushing a bit, Kitanya began placing the change of clothes in the previously empty bag. Once that was done, she once more pushed one of the water flasks towards the hanyou. "You see, I have plenty."

Throat parched, Inuyasha finally accepted the water and drank half the flask. Nodding his thanks, he handed the bottle back, expecting Kitanya to tie it off but instead, the bear submissive asked him to hold out his hands. Upon doing so, she used the remaining fluid to wash the blood and dirt from them.

With the Hanyou's hands cleaned of Jakotem's blood, Kitanya smiled and looked up. "Are there wounds beneath your clothes that require cleansing?"

Still slightly dumbfounded at the tender treatment he was receiving, Inuyasha shook his head. "Naw, just bruisin'. Jakotem never got a claw into me, he just kept usin' his fists."

"Sounds like him. No finesse even in fighting."

Inuyasha grinned. "Yeah, guess that's a good thing for me."

Pleased by the easy banter, Kitanya looked to the hanyou's firerat robes. "I could clean those for you."

"No need, they clean themselves."

"Truly?" Kitanya asked, her brown eyes wide.

"Yeah, pretty handy. They clean and mend themselves. I was pretty surprised the first time it happened."

Reaching out a clawed hand, Kitanya touched the edge of a crimson sleeve. Between her fingers she could feel the bristly yet soft fur of the firerat. "It is a good thing firerat youkai are so fierce, otherwise they would have been hunted to extinction long ago."

Inuyasha could only grunt in agreement while shifting his weight once more, easing even more pressure off his aching chest. No more had he gotten into position than Miroku came into view, the dimensional youkai carrying a small package wrapped in animal skin.

Rising from her position, Kitanya bowed. "Miroku, it is good to see you again so soon."

Eyes crinkling with his smile, Miroku held out the wrapped package. "As promised, Prince Sesshomaru procured some food for you both."

Pleased, Kitanya received the package, her nose already twitching to the scent of fresh deer meat. "Please express my gratitude to the Prince of the West."

Staff tinkling in the night, Miroku looked down on the resting hanyou. "I trust you will be well enough to attend the final day of the Reckoning tomorrow?"

Inuyasha looked off to the side, his head cast down. "I'll be there when I gotta. Don't see the point in it, but I promised that mangy wolf so I'll be there."

"Wonderful. If you will excuse me, my place tonight is by the Western Heir's side."

Waving a hand, Inuyasha shooed Miroku on his way. "Don't let us keep ya, monk."

"Then I shall take my leave, but not before giving my own congratulations on your battle, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's not make it into somethin' it wasn't. I just did what I had to, nothin' more."

Miroku gave Kitanya a knowing look, both of them marveling at just how incredibly humble the hanyou was. "Thank you again, Miroku."

Inclining his head, Miroku gave a final farewell before leaving the two in peace.

With the monk leaving, Kitanya eagerly unwrapped the deer meat. She'd been able to tell by the weight that the amount was not insignificant and more than enough for the two of them. Squatting down in front of the hanyou, she held the meat up to him, offering Inuyasha the choicest of the selection. But, instead of reaching forward, he shifted uneasily, his head looking away from the meat while muttering a, "You go ahead."

Hearing the growl of the hanyou's stomach, Kitanya frowned. "I ate just this morning and there is plenty here for the both of us."

"-Keh, that ain't the point so just do as I say and eat."

Head tilted to the side, Kitanya looked down at the raw meat in her hands, her mouth already watering. "Inuyasha, I can't – "

"Damn-it! I told ya to eat and that's what I mean. Don't let it go to waste fussin' about protocol."

" _Go to waste?_ I don't understand."

Sighing, Inuyasha placed his forehead in the palm of his hand while berating himself for loosing his temper when Kitanya was only trying to be nice. "Listen, I'm a half-breed, Kitanya."

"I am aware of your lineage, Inuyasha but I fail to see what that has to do with eating."

"Oh for the love of the gods . . . I can't eat it raw. Well, I mean I can, but then I get sick." Nudging the raw meat back in Kitanya's direction, Inuyasha repeated, "You eat it, don't let it go to waste."

Staring down at the bloody meat in her hands, Kitanya's eyebrows drew together in understanding and determination. Wrapping the meat back up, she rose from her position. "I'll be back soon." And with that, she vanished into the forest.

Inuyasha barely had time to wonder what the bear submissive was up to when she returned, her arms laden with wooden tinder. Eyes wide, the hanyou watched Kitanya as she settled the collected branches in place. Once positioned, the small bear flicked her claws together, a spark of fire bursting forth and quickly lighting the wood. Once the small blaze had grown and matured, Kitanya skewered a large chunk of meat and set to cook.

Silently, both sat while the deer meat sizzled and cooked, Inuyasha's cramped stomach begging more insistently as the smell assaulted his nose. When it was thoroughly cooked, Kitanya offered the meat again. "Please do not hesitate to tell me of what other needs may be different than my own. Nothing you could ever tell me would make me think less of you. Half-breed or not, to me, you are the strongest being I have ever encountered."

Grabbing the offered meat, Inuyasha took a large bite out of it, savoring the warm juices as they slid down his throat. Only after he'd swallowed that large bite did he respond. "Sounds like you haven't meant many youkai then."

Pleased the hanyou was now eating; Kitanya took a bite of her own raw meat. "As princess of my tribe, I had both the pleasure and displeasure of meeting many youkai. So you see, I do have a rather wide breadth of choices to compare you with. And, with all that knowledge, my opinion still stands."

Blushing yet again, Inuyasha took another bite of his food. Having absolutely no idea how to respond to such a ridiculous statement, all he could do was hold his silence. Soon enough, the meat was gone and the hanyou began to feel the pull of sleep. Given his current wounds, it was unlikely he'd be able to get up in his tree, plus, he would never leave Kitanya down on the ground. If they were going to be together for a while, he'd have to teach her to appreciate heights.

Yawning widely, Inuyasha settled back, his eyes slitted. Seeing this, Kitanya pulled out her fur. She thought briefly about offering it to the hanyou but figured he'd see it more as an insult than kindness. "If you would like to sleep, I can keep watch."

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side. "No, you sleep. I'll wake up if there's trouble."

Trusting the hanyou, Kitanya scooted just a little closer before lying down. Chewing on her bottom lip with her fangs, the bear youkai stared at the dwindling fire. "Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?" was his sleepy response.

"I . . . thank you. Those words seem too small to express my gratitude, but they are all I have."

Letting loose another yawn, Inuyasha made a scoffing noise. "Don't worry about it."

"Yes, I know, but still, you didn't have to do that. You don't even know me, and – "

"Kitanya."

"Yes?"

"Go to sleep."

Small smile slipping across her face, Kitanya settled into her thin fur, her body lying on the hard earth. To be certain, her sleeping accommodations were far less comfortable than any she'd previously had, and yet, she was fairly certain she'd sleep better tonight than she had in decades. Mind and soul at peace, Kitanya closed her eyes and whispered, "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

 _Ah . . . there you have it, or, at least, they've finally met. I hope you enjoyed their interactions. The next chapter should have Inuyasha finally going out onto that field to present himself. Most likely you all can guess at how that's going to go :-_ ). Just as an FYI, we don't really learn just how "creative" the Lord of the East is going to get with Jakotem. I'll leave that up to your devious little minds and you can all mentally torture him to your heart's content.

Next update will most likely be in one week. Hope to see you all then. Drop me a review if you have time and let me know what you think so far. I believe we've picked up a few new readers, so to those of you just starting out - welcome!

lunamist


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey everyone. I hope this gets posted. I kept trying to upload this chapter and it wouldn't let me. I've never had that problem before I'm I'm too tech stupid to figure out what the problem is - if it's on my end or theirs. As far as I know, nothing is different only end. Not sure but it was stressing me out. I tried multiple times and then suddenly it took it? Well, anyways, let's hope it posts ok. I guess in the future if I don't update on the day I promise, it might be because I couldn't get the chapter to upload and I will keep working on it._

 _Okay, hopefully enough of that. Thanks again to all the absolutely lovely reviews over the last chapter. You guys rock! Most of you seem to like Kitanya and I'm glad because she pops in and out through most of the rest of the story. I hope you like this chapter one as well. It's Inuyasha's presentation time - Whopee! I'll be curious to see how you all think this chapter plays out . . . it's a long one. Didn't seem right to break it anywhere but where I did. Anyways, let's get this show on the road._

 _Chapter 9 . . ._

Staring into the fire, Kouga's blue eyes were distant in thought; so distant even Ayame was finding it difficult to reach him. Silent and still, Kouga sat for over an hour as he contemplated what he'd witnessed today. Finally, with a shake of his head, the wolf spoke. "I never even thought of this as a possibility."

Jerking slightly, Ayame was momentarily surprised by the break in the silence. "Perhaps we should not be that surprised. Prince Sesshomaru has never been impressed by the youkai submissives he's seen in the past."

"Yeah, but who'd of thought he'd be interested in a hanyou?"

Her own eyes captured by the leaping orange and crimson of flame, Ayame thought for a moment before answering, "He is an InuHanyou, maybe Sesshomaru's just been looking for one of his own."

"Feh, there are other pure-blooded InuYoukai he could choose from. Sure, they're a small group, but they ain't extinct. If that's all he's after, then he could have picked one of them."

Reaching over, Ayame ran the palm of her hand up Kouga's arm. "Then maybe Sesshomaru sees what you do. Isn't this what you hoped would happen? That Inuyasha would find a powerful dominant mate?"

Kouga only shook his head. "But Sesshomaru? Ice Prick of the West? Gods above, that youkai is so damn cold and stoic. Inuyasha . . . the mutt will never admit it, but he needs more than that. Shit, he deserves more than a frigid ass mate. I . . . " placing the palm of his hand over Ayame's, Kouga squeezed her fingers.

"What will you do?"

"You mean tomorrow?"

Ayame nodded. "When Inuyasha is presented, it is likely Prince Sesshomaru will make his claim. You've already accepted me as a mate so you can't challenge. If Inuyasha asked for a Champion, then maybe – "

"The mutt would never ask for someone to battle for him. Damn stubborn hanyou would demand the right to fight for himself, but I don't think he'd do that." Turning his head, Kouga's eyes locked with Ayame's. "He's smitten. I knew it the first time he laid eyes on that jackass. Whether he knows it or not, Inuyasha is attracted to Sesshomaru."

"So tomorrow – "

"He'll accept." Sighing, Kouga threw a nearby stick into the fire. "If there's the slightest chance of him bein' happy, then I'll support it." Growling low, Kouga's eyes narrowed. "But if that bastard hurts him in any way . . . well, I guess we'll find out just how fuckin' powerful the Prince of the West really is."

Giving her own growl in return, Ayame almost sounded like she was purring. "I've already told you not to hog all the fun for yourself. Should it come to that, Sesshomaru will have two wolves to defeat."

Kouga wondered if he'd ever been this turned on in his entire life and without thought, slammed his mouth against Ayame's, eating at her lips as his intended mate moaned with pleasure. Pulling away, Kouga licked the saliva from Ayames mouth, his words little more than a hushed whisper. "Gods above, I want you."

"Soon," Ayame answered, her hands reluctantly pushing Kouga away from her.

Not to be denied completely, Kouga gave a low growl before grabbing Ayame and settling her on his lap.

"Kouga?"

"I ain't gonna do nothin' else, but I want you close. Please . . . stay."

Nuzzling close, Ayame consented knowing her intended mate was in need of her. Kouga's concern for his friend was one of the reasons she'd chosen him for a dominant mate. It was, in her opinion, one of his finer qualities. "Inuyasha is strong. If there is anyone who can crack Sesshomaru's shell, it's him."

Resting his chin atop Ayame's head, Kouga squeezed her closer. "Damn right. That bastard has no idea what he's gettin' into. Inuyasha'll be one hell of a partner. I just hope Sesshomaru realizes what he's got."

Feeling the comfort both Ayame's touch and scent brought, Kouga settled back, finally allowing his eyes to drop closed. Tomorrow would take care of itself, and hopefully, the future as well.

::::::::::

The following day, Inuyasha felt somewhat better. One night wasn't enough to heal all his wounds, but he could breath easier and knew his ribs were mending. It was weird waking up with another so willingly near, but he found Kitanya's scent to be tolerable and she was far less annoying than he'd thought she might be. All in all, the hanyou thought he could have done worse.

Standing around the damn arena once more, Inuyasha hoped it would be for the last time. Unfortunately, that hope would most likely end like all others. If it were just about himself, he'd never step foot in another Gathering for as long as he lived, but it wasn't just about him anymore. Eyes drifting off to the side, he took in the bear submissive standing to his right and slightly behind him. By the stupid laws of the Reckoning, she might be his servant, but he had no intentions of limiting her life to following him around. No, if there was one thing he'd figured out last night, it was that he would do everything he could to see to it that Kitanya was well mated. Given her breeding and demeanor, he didn't think that would be difficult, that is, as long as he could go places that exposed her to other youkai – something he loathed to think of.

"I do not believe it will be long now."

Head fully coming around, Inuyasha gave a confused, "Huh?"

Tilting her head, Kitanya motioned toward the field. "They have gone through all the major groups of youkai and are down to those whom are on their own or only loosely affiliated with others. In the past, this group has been very small and so I believe it will not be long until you are called forth."

"Oh." Looking back, Inuyasha's shoulders slumped. Gods above, he just wanted this day to be over so they could head back to Kaede's village. He'd need to fill Kitanya in on just what he was planning on doing, but they'd have a few days to hash that out. In a way, having the bear submissive with him would most likely lend credence to whatever tale he was going to tell Kaede.

Hearing yet another submissive called forth, Inuyasha grumbled while scratching the back of an ear. "There's a hot spring not far off the path we'll be taking once this thing's over. I ain't had a bath since this damn thing started and I'm beginnin' to stink . . . and itch."

Kitanya gave a polite smile. "Since ridding yourself of Jakotem's blood, I have not noticed any foul smells coming from your direction."

"-Keh," Inuyasha laughed. "Most youkai think I stink even after just bathin'. Somethin' about me bein' a half-breed I guess."

Smile faltering, Kitanya's brown eyes faded. "I do not think they were being truthful, Inuyasha. Although you certainly smell different from pure youkai I've met, the scent is not at all offensive."

Inuyasha shrugged. "Maybe it's just a matter of opinion. Kouga stinks like ass most days I'm around him."

Letting loose a soft laugh, Kitanya couldn't believe such happiness could exist. "And yet, you still enjoy being around him."

Inuyasha thought about denying it, but in the end thought it was pointless. "Yeah, I suppose. Just don't go tellin' him that. Damn wolf's got a big enough head as it is, what with Ayame agreein' to be his mate and all."

"Your secret is safe with me." Despite those words, Kitanya didn't think it was much of a secret at all. What also wasn't a secret, at least to her, was Prince Sesshomaru's intentions. It intrigued her just how clueless the hanyou seemed to be as it was obvious Inuyasha expected no one to make a claim when he was presented. Brown eyes scanning the faces before her, Kitanya was well aware that, in the past, at this late in the Gathering, most powerful dominants had already left. Having no interest in the remaining submissives, most chose to leave and yet it was clear that wasn't the case this time around. On the final day of the Reckoning, and thus the final day of the Gathering, there were several powerful dominants scattered around the edge of the arena, their eyes constantly looking back to her location, or more precisely, the hanyou standing beside her.

Battling Jakotem and winning, Inuyasha had unintentionally appealed to a number of powerful dominants. And why not? True, Inuyasha may be a hanyou, but he was strong and that appealed to confident dominants. And, for a half-breed, Inuyasha was beautiful. Although Kitanya doubted he was aware of this fact.

Looking to the end of the field, Kitanya saw the representatives of the four different Lands standing as they had been yesterday. If Sesshomaru didn't make a claim, most likely there would be several battles for the right to mate Inuyasha. But, if what she suspected was true, once the Prince of the West made his claim known, all other interested parties would back off, at least, if they valued their lives.

Eyes once more drifting up to Inuyasha, she wondered what his response would be should Sesshomaru make an offer. Would the hanyou accept? Chances were pretty good that among the submissives present, Inuyasha was the only one who'd ever consider turning the Western prince down. Most likely, that was the very reason a youkai like Sesshomaru wanted him in the first place.

Beside her, Kitanya heard Inuyasha take in a hissing breath and looked up to see the moderator from yesterday staring at the hanyou. Lost in her musings, she'd missed his name being called.

"I doubt this'll take long. You just stay here and I'll be back soon."

Watching the brilliant red of Inuyasha's firerat as he walked forward, head held high despite his obvious misgivings, Kitanya couldn't help but shake her head. She doubted very seriously that this would be as quick as the hanyou predicted. And, although Prince Kouga was across the field, she could easily see by the tensing of his body that he too knew what was coming. But whatever the outcome, she would wait and happily do her duty.

::::::::::

Reaching back, Miroku scratched a troublesome spot below his left butt cheek, the rings of his staff tinkling melodically with the action. Bored out of his mind, the monk was simply waiting for the last submissive to be called, the only submissive that mattered – Inuyasha. The silent repose Sesshomaru had gone into last night appeared to be continuing today and the Prince of the West had barely spoken since Inuyasha's battle with Jakotem. Miroku wanted to know what Sesshomaru was planning to do, but the InuYoukai was beyond his influence at this point. Sesshomaru had had the opportunity to see all the hanyou had to offer and if he did not find Inuyasha worthy, then truly, Miroku thought the Western Lands would never have another heir.

Distantly, Miroku heard the moderator say Inuyasha's name and in response, the monk let out a blessed, "Finally, thank Buddha." Senses sharp and concentrated, Miroku tried to determine if Sesshomaru had any reaction to the name, but there was only the slightest tightening to the InuYoukai's jaw line.

Had any been privy to the thoughts of the Prince of the West, any doubts they'd of had would have been erased into oblivion. Sesshomaru had spent the previous night thinking over the hanyou, all the good and bad traits and what it would mean to finally be mated. But in truth, most of his thoughts hadn't revolved around the _if's_ of the situation, but more the _how's_ of it. After what he'd seen, Sesshomaru had little doubt as to his choice, only the integration of Inuyasha into court life.

Body still as stone, Sesshomaru's golden eyes had spent the better part of the day evaluating his competition for the hanyou. Just as Kitanya had noticed, he also saw the more powerful dominants still lingering at the sidelines and knew their interest was the same as his. But these youkai were of little concern. Should one challenge him, the battle would be swift and next to meaningless. Blood would be pointlessly spilt for none here were even close to his level of power.

Golden eyes sharp, Sesshomaru watched his hanyou walk onto the field. Studying Inuyasha's movements, he was impressed at the abilities of the half-breed to conceal his wounds from notice. Had he not been aware of the severity of Inuyasha's injuries, most likely even he would not have been able to discern the miniscule hesitancy of the hanyou's gait.

Now standing before the moderator, Sesshomaru waited as the hanyou's name was given as well as his status as a submissive breeder. Given the fact that Inuyasha was without a clan or tribe, his overall presentation was short.

Unable to hold his tongue longer, Miroku sighed before asking, "So . . . will I be giving Lord Inu no Taisho the news he's been longing to hear?"

Eyes going wide, Miroku's mouth dropped open at the rare smirk lighting Sesshomaru's face. "Gods above, the world must be ending."

Smirk gone with his fresh annoyance at the monk, Sesshomaru's eyes caught the barest movement from no less than three surrounding dominants. Were he truly as sadistic as many thought, the InuYoukai would have waited and allowed the others to come forward before making his interest known. Given how arrogant youkai were, no doubt they'd have found it impossible to back out of their claim and would have died this day. But Sesshomaru despised battling those weaker than him. With no more thought on the matter, the Prince of the West stepped forward, never once turning back to look at the monk as he answered, "That shall be up to the hanyou."

::::::::::

Hand dashing out, Ayame caught the edge of Kouga's forearm. Looking back, the wolf prince scowled. "Let go."

But Ayame stood firm and only shook her head. "This is Inuyasha's decision. I know you want to protect him, but it is not for you to decide who his mate should be. You've been boasting for years about just how strong he is. If there is a single soul out there who won't let Sesshomaru intimidate them into submission, it's Inuyasha. Trust him."

Growling low in his throat, Kouga stared out onto the field and felt shame for what he would have done had Ayame not held him back. With a huff, the wolf shifted his weight to the back of his heels. "Gods be damned, I hate it when you're right."

Sliding up a little closer, Ayame leaned her body against her intended mate. "I suppose it's just another thing you're going to have to get used to."

Smile curving its way across Kouga's face, the wolf could only grin in response before turning his attention back to the field as he watched the Heir of the Western Lands gracefully move across the grass on his way to Kouga's friend.

Unaware of Kouga's thoughts, Inuyasha stared into the crowd, seeing nothing and wishing to be anywhere but where he was. He'd hoped that being the last presented, most of the youkai would have already headed home. But instead of a diminished crowd, this one seemed just as large if not larger than the one that'd been there yesterday.

Standing still, he'd only vaguely heard the moderator introduce him and was simply biding his time until he heard that same moderator dismiss him after none came to claim him. Puppydog ears perked high upon his head, Inuyasha had long ago schooled himself to filter out the derogatory comments that always seemed to follow him and concentrate instead on any perceptible threat. But instead of the normal hum of background noise he normally heard, there was nothing but eerie silence – not even the ruffle of clothes or the chirp of a bird. Nothing. Absolutely nothing, except . . . sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha felt the burning pain of his healing ribs and barely registered the pain. All around him was that delicious scent he'd come to associate with that bastard Western prince. And, quickly trailing that scent was the overwhelming purr of Sesshomaru's youkai. Gods above, it felt like the thing was singing to him.

Head snapping to the side, Inuyasha stared, amber eyes blown wide as he watched the ice-prick calmly stride toward him, those pristine white robes gently swaying in the breeze as Sesshomaru's silvery strands of hair did the same, the whole scene mesmerizing in its beauty. Entranced as he was, the hanyou never noticed the other dominant males who'd begun to come forward, nor the angered irritation they all felt as each and every one stepped back, all choosing preservation of life.

Fighting the pull of Sesshomaru's power, Inuyasha pushed the calm buzz he was feeling away and forced himself to concentrate as his mind began to wonder just what was going on.

Walking forward, Sesshomaru only briefly considered the fact that the other dominants had wisely pulled back. Golden eyes set on the small InuHanyou before him; all Sesshomaru's focus was on gaining the mate he wanted. Soon enough, the Prince of the West stood before Inuyasha. To his credit, the moderator had composed himself by the time Sesshomaru stood before him.

Bowing low, the moderator greeted, "Prince Sesshomaru."

Confused and growing increasingly panicked as to why the Heir of the Western Lands was now standing before him, Inuyasha blurted, "What the fuck do you think you're doin'?"

Raising a single eyebrow, Sesshomaru thought back on the monk's words. Miroku liked the hanyou and he had little doubt part of that appeal was this very aspect of Inuyasha's personality. "I would have thought that would be obvious."

With everything he had, Inuyasha fought not to back away as his eyes went even wider. "Y-you can't mean – "

Head tilted to the side, Sesshomaru blinked once. "Rest assured, Hanyou, this Sesshomaru never does anything he does not mean."

Inuyasha pulled his eyes away, staring up at the moderator. "I . . . " lost, Inuyasha didn't know what to do or say. Never in all his life did he think something like this would be possible. "But I'm a half-breed."

"I am well aware of your mixed heritage. It is of little consequence."

" _Little consequence_? Have you lost your gods be damned mind?"

"I assure you, that is not the case." Eyes fixed upon the spot where Inuyasha's puppydog ears should be, Sesshomaru noted the fluffy appendages were almost invisible as the hanyou flattened them down into his hair. "You appear far more concerned for your hanyou status than I. Do you believe yourself to be unworthy of this Sesshomaru?"

Now properly pissed, Inuyasha snarled. "Fuck no."

Ignoring the vulgar language, Sesshomaru was actually pleased to see the hanyou so riled up. Although he doubted Inuyasha was nearly as confident as he sounded, it was good to know the pup would not be cowed easily. Of course, had he thought differently, the Prince of the West would not have approached Inuyasha to begin with. "If that is so, then what is your answer?"

Eyes wide, all of Inuyasha's irritation fled in a flurry of anxiety mixed with fluttering anticipation. "You . . . you're really serious?"

"I do not like to repeat myself and have already stated that I do not do anything that I do not mean."

Inuyasha's mind was buzzing, his youkai fairly bursting at the seams. Too often in life he'd been disappointed and found it difficult to believe that the heir of something as important as the Western Lands apparently were, actually wanted him. Momentarily closing his eyes, Inuyasha drew in a deep breath. Although he hated what he was about to ask, the hanyou had to be certain. "Just to be clear . . . you're askin' me to be your mate, right? I mean . . . " licking his lips, Inuyasha plunged forward, "a true mate, not . . . not just a breeder?" Heart pounding deep within his chest, Inuyasha felt his breath catch while waiting for an answer.

Deeply offended, Sesshomaru's youkai howled with disapproval that the one they wished to mate with would think so little of them. But, given Jakotem's previous actions, perhaps the question was not without merit. Forcing his body to calm, Sesshomaru actually considered the hanyou's words as well as the tone they were spoken with and understood the fear behind them. "One day, you shall realize the futility of such a question, but in answer, this Sesshomaru desires you as a true mate and as such, you shall have the status that comes with such a rank."

If it were possible, Inuyasha's heart pounded all the harsher, a spark of rare hope flaring within his chest. "And pups? You'll let me help raise them? They won't be taken away from me or anything?"

Sesshomaru's previous offense was quickly being replaced by painful sadness. That the hanyou would feel the need to ask such questions, to need such assurances, was disheartening. He would need to discover the source of Inuyasha's insecurities and squash them. "I have no desire to bare the sole responsibility of rearing any pups we might create. As the submissive bearer, I would fully expect you to have an integral role in their upbringing."

Pulling at his bottom lip with sharp fangs, Inuyasha nodded as his mind struggled to not only accept what he was hearing, but to desperately try and think of anything else he needed to ask. Eyes shifting over to Kitanya, Inuyasha questioned, "And Kitanya? She seems determined to stay with me so I guess I'm responsible for her now. That makes her part of the package. She seems like a decent enough youkai and she'll need the opportunity to find a mate if she wants one."

"I've no objections to the Lady Kitanya's presence. She may serve you in the castle and she shall have the protection of the Western Lands."

"Oh. Okay." Hands stuffed deep within the sleeves of his firerat, Inuyasha couldn't believe he was actually thinking about saying yes. The whole thing was so damn surreal. Amber eyes quickly scanning over the crowd, he finally found what he was looking for and locked gazes with shimmering blue orbs. Staring hard, Inuyasha looked to the wolf, to his friend. In response, Kouga gave a single nod, his thin lips turning up ever so slightly in the corners, offering a sincere smile of encouragement.

Never in his life had Inuyasha ever thought to find a youkai mate, let alone one of Sesshomaru's power and status. Should he accept, his life would completely change and yet he knew not if it would be for better or worse. Knowing next to nothing about the Prince of the West, it was difficult to make a decision. From what he'd heard Kouga say, Sesshomaru was cold and scary as fuck. What if he turned out to be cruel and domineering? Inuyasha knew he wasn't weak and he'd fight like crazy to get out from under the thumb of something like that, but once you were mated, it was for life. To think of a life filled with such animosity and struggle made the hanyou feel like retching.

But, if he said yes, then he wouldn't have to lie to Kaede. He would truly have a mate and quite possibly, a home. Sesshomaru didn't seem like he minded his half-breed status and that in and of itself was refreshing, and . . . difficult to believe. Dear gods above, he just didn't know.

As the silence drew on, Sesshomaru watched as a myriad of emotions filtered across the hanyou's face. After several minutes, Inuyasha looked down, his silvery-white bangs covering those expressive eyes as he asked, "Why? Why me?"

It was a good question, one he thought was going through almost every other youkai's mind in attendance, all those except the powerful dominants that could see what he had seen. And yet, Sesshomaru found it difficult to put his actual reasons into words. "Several reasons could be stated, but the only one of consequence is that it is what I desire. Never before has this Sesshomaru made an offer of mate to any submissive, this alone should prove my intentions."

Inuyasha was far from satisfied and yet, the answer brought a small blush to his cheeks.

Head cocked to the side, Sesshomaru regarded the hanyou and the silence that resumed. No matter the reasons, the Prince of the West did truly desire Inuyasha as a mate and needed to make his intended agree. "Inuyasha, what do you feel when in my presence?"

Head snapping up, Inuyasha's blush turned a deeper shade of crimson. "W-what do ya mean?"

Not wishing to offend the hanyou, Sesshomaru chose his words carefully. "Do you feel . . . ill at ease? Do you wish to be far from me?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "No. I . . . that is, I should feel that way, but I don't." Scrunching up his nose, the hanyou thought back to how confused he'd been by his youkai's reaction to the InuYoukai. As powerful as Sesshomaru was, Inuyasha's survival instincts should have been screaming at him to run as fast and far away as he could and yet, that's not at all what he felt.

Sesshomaru felt victory creeping in. "Then is it fair to say that you find my presence comforting; my scent soothing?"

Reaching a claw up, Inuyasha scratched behind a twitching ear. "You ain't so bad, and . . . you don't stink like dogbreath."

Most likely that was a very watered down version of the truth, but Sesshomaru would take it. "Your scent is quite appealing to my youkai. Does that surprise you?"

Inuyasha's head popped up, his mouth hanging open ever so slightly. In less than twenty-four hours, he'd had two pureblooded youkai tell him they liked his scent. "I . . . a little."

Moving forward, Sesshomaru closed the distance between them, mokomoko coming forward enough to brush the skin of Inuyasha's hand. "It is your decision for I shall not force you. The choice is yours." Of course, Sesshomaru didn't tell the hanyou that should he refuse, the Prince of the West would use the next fifty years to try and convince Inuyasha to change his mind.

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha pulled that wonderful scent deep into his body and knew that the thought of never smelling it again was near heartbreaking. He wanted that scent, that security and gods help him, he wanted to belong somewhere. Decision made, the hanyou looked up, his amber eyes alight with determination. "I gotta make a stop in my village to say goodbye to somebody before I can go with you to wherever it is you call home."

"That is acceptable."

"Okay then, I guess ya got yourself a mate."

The only evidence of Sesshomaru's pleasure was a very slight easing of his face, a curious fire to his golden orbs. Reaching forward, he wrapped his clawed fingers around Inuyasha's wrist, turning it to reveal the delicate and tender underbelly of flesh. Eyes locked with those of his intended mate, the Prince of the Western Lands lowered his fangs to his intended's skin, barely piercing the flesh and claiming the hanyou as his intended mate.

With the break of skin, Inuyasha felt a jolt of raw power surge through his body, the pain of the bite overshadowed by the intensity of Sesshomaru's youkai as it flared towards his own, the two inu's mixing with the claiming. Sucking in a harsh breath of air, Inuyasha felt intoxicated by the effect as well as awed at that glimpse of overwhelming power. Gods above, Sesshomaru was even stronger than he'd first imagined and he wondered if any of the youkai here had any idea just how dangerous the Heir of the West was.

With his wrist released, Inuyasha stared down at the mark, its edges a fiery red. From what he understood, the mark would remain until the official mating was complete, when he'd have a new, bolder mark most likely located on his neck or shoulder.

Eyes fixed upon that unbelievable spot on his skin, Inuyasha completely missed the moderator's congratulatory words. "Prince Sesshomaru, it pleases me to see you finally take a mate." Eyes glancing down at the stunned hanyou, the moderator's face softened. "For what it is worth, I believe you have the rarest of treasures. Although, I suppose it should not surprise me that this is the case."

Sesshomaru could care less about the moderator's opinion but still tilted his head in acknowledgment of his words. More than done with the whole hassle of the Gathering, Sesshomaru wrapped mokomoko around his hanyou and began guiding Inuyasha from the field. As they left, the blissful silence that had so permeated the arena was broken as the shocked youkai began to understand what had just happened. The Heir of the West had actually taken a mate . . . a half-breed mate. As if some type of invisible signal had been given, chattering voices lit up the air.

Paying little heed to such irrelevant gossip, Sesshomaru moved Inuyasha closer to the edge of the field, toward the representatives of each Land. In short order, each gave the Heir of the West their congratulations and blessings, the hawk youkai containing the consciousness of the Lord of the East giving a particularly wide grin.

Still seemingly in shock, Inuyasha barely heard the words spoken, his mind coming to grips with what he'd just done while his body basked in the warmth of Sesshomaru's fur. Oddly enough, it was the tinkling sound of Miroku's staff that finally roused him enough to look up, the monk's eyes shining bright with unabashed satisfaction. With a deep bow, Miroku happily stated, "May I be the first youkai of the Western Lands to welcome you."

Blushing anew, Inuyasha pushed from the cloying warmth of mokomoko. "-Keh, ya don't have to bow and do all that kind of shit."

"On the contrary, mutt, you better get used to youkai bowin' down at your feet." Feeling a hand slap his back, Inuyasha barely held his ground as his ribs angrily protested the pain such an action caused, a hissed, "Dogbreath," echoing from his pursed lips.

Hearing the restrained hiss of pain lacing Inuyasha's voice, Sesshomaru turned a glare on the wolf that should have frozen Kouga to the spot. Seeing the satisfactory blanch of the wolf's skin, Sesshomaru turned his attention to Inuyasha. "Are the wounds from your previous battle with Jakotem still mending?"

Annoyed, Inuyasha waved a hand in dismissal. "It ain't nothin' to be worried about. I'm fine."

Inching closer, Sesshomaru cupped Inuyasha chin within the palm of his hand, pulling the hanyou's eyes up to meet his own. "You are wrong. You are my submissive mate and your health is my first priority."

Instead of pleased, Inuyasha felt shame and pushed Sesshomaru's hand away. "I ain't weak. Just because I'm a half-breed that don't mean you gotta worry over every little nick or scratch I get. I don't die easy."

"As I have already stated, your half-breed status is of little concern to me and if I thought you weak then you would not be standing there bearing my mark."

Slightly mollified, Inuyasha turned his head to the side while stuffing his hands back in his sleeves. "Still, that don't mean you gotta feel obligated to protect me. I can take care of myself."

"Foolish hanyou. This Sesshomaru does not feel obligated to protect you but wishes to do so freely."

Inuyasha was at a loss for words, but as it turned out, he didn't need to say anything as the moderator pulled them all out of their conversation as he declared this Gathering to be at a close. From what Inuyasha understood, by tomorrow, there would be nothing but flattened grass left as witness to the latest youkai mating ceremony.

Watching as the gathered youkai began breaking up, Inuyasha suddenly remembered, "Oh shit, I need to find Kitanya."

"Don't worry, mutt, Ayame's gettin' her." Lifting up his head, Kouga scented the air and smiled. "They're almost here."

As if on cue, both Ayame and Kitanya broke through the crowd, the she-wolf's clawed hand firmly encircling Kitanya's wrist and pulling her along. Soon enough, they were both standing before him with Ayame giving him a pleased smile as she too bowed. "I sincerely hope you shall be happy with your new mate and home, Inuyasha." Without skipping a beat, Ayame turned toward Sesshomaru and gave a similar bow. "Prince Sesshomaru."

In response, Sesshomaru gave only a slight inclination of his head causing Kouga to scowl. "Sesshomaru, I'd like a word."

Head snapping up, Inuyasha stared at Kouga. "I don't know what you think you're doin' but most likely it's somethin' stupid."

But Kouga only grinned like a maniac, his tail swishing back and forth with glee.

"The wolf's request is convenient for this Sesshomaru." Inclining his head to the side, Sesshomaru indicated an area a short distance away where they might speak. "Inuyasha, this _discussion_ should not take long. Stay with the monk and I shall return shortly."

"Don't fuckin' tell me what to do," Inuyasha growled, only to be ignored as he watched the back ends of Sesshomaru and Kouga stride away. Fidgeting with the mark on his wrist, Inuyasha thought back to the rush of power he'd felt when Sesshomaru bit him and cringed at the thought of all the stupid shit Kouga was likely to do that would piss the InuYoukai off. Kouga had no freaking idea just how dangerous Sesshomaru really was. "Ayame . . . you got any ideas what's goin' on in fleabag's brain?"

Giving her most reassuring smile, Ayame looked at the hanyou. "Don't worry, Inuyasha, he's not quite as stupid as you think."

"-Keh, somehow I doubt that."

Feeling a light weight on his arm, Inuyasha looked over to Kitanya, her large brown eyes sparkling with happiness. "I had hoped this was Prince Sesshomaru's intentions. I am pleased you agreed, Inuyasha."

Head bowed, Inuyasha still wasn't sure and doubted there was anything anyone could say or do to make that change. "Well, whatever the outcome, it's done." Looking back to Kitanya he added, "Don't worry, before I agreed, I made sure you're welcome to come along. At least this way, you'll have a home again and Sesshomaru said you'd be under the protection of the West."

Blinking, Kitanya felt her mouth go slack. "You mean . . . did you really ask about me before agreeing?"

"Of course," Inuyasha stated, as if the question was foolish. "If you insist on hangin' around me, then I gotta make sure you're safe. Besides, what kind of a mate or leader would Sesshomaru make if he said no?"

"Inuyasha – "

Happily satisfied, Miroku hadn't needed more proof that his choice had been wise, but regardless, the hanyou seemed unconsciously determined to prove himself again and again. "Wiser words have rarely been spoken."

Confused, Inuyasha glanced from Kitanya's admiring eyes, shimmering with tears to the satisfied ones of Miroku. "It ain't wise, just common sense. Don't make it more than it is."

"As you like, Inuyasha," Miroku answered, the smile upon his lips faint yet powerfully sincere.

With a slight nudge to his arm, Inuyasha looked to Ayame only to find her gaze locked on the returning figures of Sesshomaru and Kouga. "Well, it looks like he managed not to get himself killed." Cocking her head to the side, Ayame couldn't decide whether or not she should be smiling or frowning when she saw the look of unabashed glee lighting Kouga's face, a sentiment not at all reflected in the Prince of the West.

Staring at the graceful form Sesshomaru struck as he did nothing more than walk, Inuyasha almost missed the relieved tone underlying Ayame's words. Almost.

::::::::::

 _A few minutes prior . . ._

Safely off to the side and out of earshot, Kouga stood with his hands on his hips. He'd agreed with Ayame not to interfere or influence Inuyasha's decision on whether or not to mate with the ice-prince of the West, but he'd be damned if he didn't school Sesshomaru on a couple of things. "I wasn't sure if you were really gonna go through with it or not."

It took all Sesshomaru's willpower not to wrinkle his nose at the powerful stench of wolf rolling off Kouga. This close, it was almost impossible to smell anything else. And, that smell only seemed to magnify when the wolf prince spoke. "Your thoughts on the matter are of little consequence to this Sesshomaru, however, Inuyasha seems to hold you in some type of value. It is because of my intended mate that I have agreed to speak with you in such a way."

Truthfully, Kouga had been a little surprised Sesshomaru had agreed to talk with him. Naturally, he figured the Heir of the West thought it beneath him to do so, so the first part of Sesshomaru's response hadn't been a surprise, however . . . the second part, now that was pleasantly interesting. "Yeah, me and the mutt go back a-ways." Briefly closing his eyes, Kouga thought over his words once more before stating. "Listen, I got no interest in startin' somethin' here, but Inuyasha's been through a shitload of crap in his life and I need to make sure you don't plan on pilin' on more."

Gleaning what he wanted from that sentence, Sesshomaru knew this was part of the reason he wanted to speak with the wolf. As much as he hated to admit it, this disgusting creature knew more about his intended mate than he did and Sesshomaru wanted that information. And, to get it, he would indulge the wolf. "You doubt the son of Lord Inu no Taisho? You doubt my ability to ensure the safety of my mate?"

Gods above, InuYoukai were prideful. "Naw, it ain't that. Inuyasha can see to his own physical safety whether you do it or not. I mean sure, it'd be nice if the puppy didn't get beat up so much in the future, but that's not what I'm really gettin' at."

Sesshomaru knew he'd most likely be forever battling his desire to keep Inuyasha from physical harm with the knowledge that the hanyou did not wish for his intervention and preferred to fight his own battles. It was strange how that one idea was, at one time, both appealing and frustrating. "Of that, we are agreed."

"Good." Sucking in a deep breath, Kouga allowed a brief glance in Inuyasha's direction. He knew his friend would have a fit if he had any idea about what he was getting ready to say, but what Inuyasha didn't know wouldn't hurt either of them. Besides, to Kouga's mind, this was important. Too important to go left unsaid. "Has he told ya how we met?"

"No."

Face scrunched up with memory, Kouga disliked the thought of telling anyone else, especially Sesshomaru, about the shameful actions of his tribe. But, once again, it was too important not to and integral to the point he wanted to make. "To be brief, the mutt saved a couple of wayward wolf cubs; cubs he didn't know. In the process, he got the shit beat outta him and poisoned. Had he not intervened, those cubs woulda ended up dead." Lost in memory, Kouga's lips turned down in a deep frown. "Ya wanna know what his reward was? Nothin'. At least, that was what my sire wanted to do. Just leave the half-breed there to die in agony."

Hearing those words, Sesshomaru's eyes tinted crimson while the faint smell of poison rent the air. Scenting the change, Kouga's eyes snapped up and his mouth pulled taught. "Well, I didn't happen to agree so I hauled his poisoned ass 'cross country to a human village that I hoped would take him in and heal his wounds. Thankfully, there was this miko named Kaede that agreed, but . . . it wasn't just his physical wounds that needed healin'. Come to find out, the mutt had been out on his own for most of his life, just tryin' to survive. By the time we crossed paths, Inuyasha was damn near feral."

Shaking his head, Kouga thought back on those days and knew he never wanted to see Inuyasha like that again. "I ain't gonna go through the details here. My point is that physical wounds heal a hell of a lot faster than emotional ones do." Blue eyes narrowed, Kouga looked up into Sesshomaru's deadly golden orbs and refused to flinch. "Truth be told, I would have rather had the mutt mated into my tribe, but with my father still alpha, that shit wasn't about to happen anytime soon. That old miko, Kaede is gonna pass on soon and I was outta time so I brought Inuyasha here hopin' he'd find a mate, but I never dreamed it'd be you. The inu's and wolves may not get along the best, but I know your kind to be honorable. I know you'll protect the mutt physically, but . . . to put it bluntly, you're as frigid as the North Sea and just about as unpredictable."

Taking in the words, Sesshomaru's youkai wanted to reach out and open the wolf's throat for suggesting Inuyasha should be mated to anyone but him. Thankfully for Kouga, the InuYoukai restrained the instinct. Still, he could not completely suppress the growl in his voice as he asked, "You believe the hanyou will suffer as my mate?"

Kouga knew he was treading on unsteady ground, but he'd come this far and refused to simply give up now. "I don't know. You already know Inuyasha's strong and I'll give ya credit for desirin' a submissive mate with that kind of ability. But as powerful as the mutt is, he's also been through hell and back just to survive to adulthood. Inuyasha has had a lifetime of learnin' how to protect himself from damn near anything and trust don't come easy. He could be bleedin' to death and tell ya its just a scratch and I don't think that's just outta pride."

Staring into those frigid eyes, Kouga couldn't tell if the jackass understood or even cared about what he was trying to say. "Damn-it, Sesshomaru! Just . . . just be careful with him. Muttface would beat my ass to China and back if he heard me sayin' that, but I don't give a shit. He's one of the good ones. He'll be a damn good mate, fuckin' loyal to the gods be damned end, but you sure as shit better be prepared to earn it. He deserves better than he's gotten so far in this life."

Sesshomaru watched the wolf deflate some and thought he was finally at an end. Although it had been tedious and more than a little irritating listening to and smelling the wolf prince, he thought some valuable information had actually been acquired. And now that Kouga was finished, it was his turn. "Know that I am grateful for what you have done for the hanyou, but also know that he is no longer your concern."

"Now wait just a – "

"Inuyasha has agreed to be my mate and as such, he is mine. However, the hanyou does seem to have an unfortunate fondness for you and since you have proven capable in assisting him in the past, I see no reason to forbid interaction in the future."

Mouth dropping open, Kouga could only stare in disbelief. "You mean you actually thought about forbiddin' me from visitin' with the mutt?" But quickly following that disbelief came the realization that the Heir of the Western Land's world was going to be turned totally upside down in the near future, courtesy of one very feisty half-breed. Letting out a barking laugh, Kouga could only shake his head. "Oh, man, that's rich."

"You believe this Sesshomaru is incapable of keeping you from his mate?"

"It ain't me you gotta worry about. Just thinkin' about you tellin' muttface who he can and can't see . . . oh, fuckin' hell . . . I'd like to see you try it. Seriously, I hope I'm around when you go spoutin' that nonsense at him."

Deciding he was more than done speaking with the irritating wolf, Sesshomaru ignored Kouga's continued chuckles of mirth. True, Inuyasha was somewhat wild and untamed, but he would learn the value of having a powerful dominant to care for him, and part of caring for his submissive was determining the best youkai for Inuyasha to associate with. Ignoring the sane part of his brain that was telling him there was some type of flaw in that logic, Sesshomaru began walking back to his hanyou, completely turning his back on the wolf prince.

::::::::::

Head bowed, Inuyasha's eyes barely peeked past the line of his bangs. "What the fuck were you two discussin'?"

Smiling wide, Kouga walked up to Ayame, giving her a quick peck on the cheek as he whispered, "We'll talk about it later," before turning to Inuyasha and giving a dismissive wave. "You know, just dominant youkai stuff."

At such an answer, Ayame gave Kouga a sharp elbow to the side while grumbling an irritated, "Dumbass."

Ignoring the antics of the wolves, Sesshomaru walked to Inuyasha. "As my duties here are done, we shall be leaving soon."

Inuyasha didn't really like how Sesshomaru seemed to order him instead of ask, but at the same time he didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to. The Gathering still reeked of youkai and he was looking forward to breathing in the clean forest air once more. "-Keh, fine. Just tell me how to get to wherever it is ya call home and Kitanya and I'll get started to my village."

Confused, Sesshomaru inquired, "Why would you require such information?"

Hand immediately going to the claiming mark on his wrist, Inuyasha felt anxiety drop his stomach. Sesshomaru had said he would have mate status, that he would be going to the Western Palace with him . . . was that nothing more than a lie?

Sensing the immediate increase in the hanyou's heartbeat, Sesshomaru was genuinely unsure as to what had caused such a reaction. Unfortunately, it appeared as if that damn wolf knew more than he.

Kouga had had a few more decades of reading Inuyasha's moods and responses and shot to the heart of the matter quickly. "Inuyasha, as frigid as he is, I don't think Sesshomaru would be okay with his newly claimed submissive wonderin' around the woods alone. I know Ayame can take care of herself, but right now, there's no way in fuckin' hell that I'd let her outta my sight, let alone get several days travel away before we're officially mated."

Glancing from Kouga to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "But he promised me I'd be able to go to my village before headin' off to his home."

Finally catching on, Sesshomaru's youkai flared with anger. "You thought to go to your village alone? Without this Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha didn't let the InuYoukai's anger faze him in the least. Folding his arms over his chest, the hanyou's lips came up in a half snarl. "It's a human village. Pardon me for thinkin' you wouldn't wanna go there."

 _Insolent pup_ , Sesshomaru's youkai raved. "You would be foolish to believe that this Sesshomaru would abandon you to such an action. I stated that you would be allowed one final visit and I have already told you that I do not say things I do not mean. It is offensive when you continually question my word."

He hadn't meant to offend Sesshomaru, but experience had more than taught Inuyasha that it mattered not if one was youkai or human, everyone lied to get what they wanted. Everyone. Frustrated, Inuyasha bowed his head and muttered a, "Whatever," before turning to Kitanya. "Dogbreath and I raced to get here so it only took a couple days travel. I don't really know how long it'll take walkin'. Hope you don't mind a little exercise."

Kitanya didn't mind at all and the idea of traveling so freely excited more than worried her. Smiling brightly, she was just about to say that when Sesshomaru interrupted. "The Lady Kitanya will not be traveling with us."

Head snapping around, Inuyasha's amber eyes were blown wide. From off to the side, he vaguely heard Kouga curse and mutter a quiet, "Didn't listen to a damn thing I said."

"The hell she's not comin'! I told ya before, Kitanya is mine to protect and I'll be damned if I leave her behind somewhere."

Behind him, mokomoko fluffed with uncontrolled irritation. Sesshomaru didn't mind the hanyou's outspoken ways, but there was fast becoming a limit to his patience. "It is interesting that you believe I should remember things you have claimed, and yet you do not believe I expect the same."

"What the fuck's that supposed to mean?"

Seeing the rapidly deteriorating situation, Miroku moved to verbally intervene. He'd barely advanced when Sesshomaru's mokomoko flew forward, wrapping the hanyou within its calming embrace. "Inuyasha, Kitanya shall not be abandoned. Your concern for her is admirable, but as my intended mate, your servant is no longer only your obligation, but mine as well. Miroku needs to return to the West to inform Lord Inu no Taisho that his son, and heir has claimed a mate. As my submissive, you will need a loyal servant to assist you and I can see no better choice than the Lady Kitanya. She shall go ahead of us, with the monk."

Easily seeing the wisdom of such a decision, Kitanya bowed her head to Sesshomaru while walking forward. "Inuyasha, if I go to the Western Palace before you, it will allow me time to begin to understand the workings of our new home and prepare it for you. Although I would enjoy meeting those of your village, I must say that I am eager to see the West and get both our accommodations settled."

Head lowered, Inuyasha both hated and loved the soothing scent Sesshomaru's fur brought him. It was easy to succumb to the softness and security it provided and yet, he was dismayed at how quickly his will seemed to capitulate. Surrounded in such a heady scent, it was difficult to think clearly. With that one thought, the hanyou lifted his head and demanded, "Let me go."

The order did little to rile Sesshomaru. Had Inuyasha not sufficiently calmed from his anxious state, he would have continued holding the hanyou despite his protests. But, as it was, Inuyasha's heart rate had slowed to something far more acceptable and despite the shortness of his words; there was no real bite to them. Loosening mokomoko, Sesshomaru took a single step back.

Although Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru's scent clinging to his body, it had at least dissipated enough for him to evaluate what had been said. Turning to Kitanya, Inuyasha's ears perked forward. "You really okay with this?" Raising a clawed hand, the hanyou shot a thumb in Sesshomaru's direction. "'Cause if not, I'll just tell this ass where he can shove his ideas."

Those few words sent two sets of lips twitching as Kitanya shot a quick look in Miroku's direction before clearing her throat of the giggles threatening to explode. "I . . . I do not think that will be necessary. I more than see the wisdom in Prince Sesshomaru's words and trust that Miroku will keep me safe on our journey."

Hearing that, Inuyasha scoffed before turning narrowed eyes on the monk. "Listen you, when I get back, I better not hear a single fuckin' word about you harassin' Kitanya. I've seen the way you look at females and I'm tellin' ya right now that shit ain't happin' with her."

Eyes wide and full of false innocence, Miroku held up his free hand. "Your accusations wound me to the core."

Puppydog ears swiveling back, Inuyasha both heard and felt Sesshomaru come up to his back as the InuYoukai stated, "The hanyou is even more perceptive than I had previously thought."

"Prince Sesshomaru, you know I only have a healthy appreciation for the female form. I would never dream of deflowering such a noble creature as the Lady Kitanya."

"-Keh, no wonder that youkai you were talkin' about don't wanna mate with you yet."

Smile wide with fond memories of Sango, Miroku looked wistful. "Indeed, she is a very discerning youkai. But, I won't give up! One day, Sango will find me irresistible."

By now, Kitanya was full on laughing, the sheer joy in her voice lightening everyone's mood. "Although the monk does indeed have a pretty face, I am not so easily swayed."

Giving a grunt and nod of approval, Inuyasha's hands once more found themselves stuffed into his wide sleeves. "That's good to know 'cause I'm gonna be damn picky about whoever comes courtin' ya."

Laughter fading to appreciative fondness, Kitanya silently wondered why it took a half-breed to find her worthy enough of such effort when her own father had been willing to mate her off to a youkai as vile as Jakotem. "I am pleased to hear such, but no matter whom I mate, I shall forever serve you, Inuyasha."

Blushing deeply, the hanyou thought Kitanya might just not be as bright as he thought and couldn't for the life of him figure out why she was so damn adamant about staying by his side and serving a half-breed for the rest of her life.

With a chivalrous arm held out, Miroku gave a slight bow to Kitanya. "If you've nothing you need to collect before we leave, then I would suggest we head out."

Looking from the offered arm to Inuyasha, Kitanya asked, "Do you have any further need of me?"

"No, of course not." Inuyasha huffed. "But wouldn't it be better to wait until mornin' to start off? Get a good sleep first?"

Behind him, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed with annoyance. "You need never concern yourself with the monk's rest. You will soon learn of Miroku's lazy ways. Most likely he plans to spend most of the trip back to the Western Palace asleep on Ah-Un's back."

"Ah-Un?"

"Lord Sesshomaru is speaking of our ride. Ah-Un is one of the two-headed, flying dragons Lord Inu no Taisho keeps for traveling. It is a rather pleasant mode of transportation. Much better than hiking through dense forest."

Inuyasha had heard of such creatures but never seen one in person. He wasn't sure it sounded safe, but Miroku seemed relaxed speaking of it and from what he was gathering, actually planned on sleeping on the damned thing. "You okay with that, Kitanya?"

Smiling widely, Kitanya nodded her head. "Oh yes! I've heard tales of two-headed dragons from my clan elders. Unfortunately, they died out in the Eastern Lands long before I was born. I'd love to get the chance to ride one."

"'Kay, just don't go fallin' off and gettin' yourself killed."

Bowing low, Kitanya finally took Miroku's awaiting arm, eagerly skipping away.

"Well, muttface, I guess Ayame and I better get goin' too. I'll be headin' back to her tribe first and then we'll go together to the Northern Wolf Tribe to get properly mated."

The happiness in Kouga's voice when he spoke of finally mating Ayame made Inuyasha's chest tight. Although Sesshomaru seemed to truly want to mate him, he didn't think the InuYoukai was nearly as stoked about it as Kouga was. "Well, I still say you don't deserve Ayame, but if that's what she wants, then who am I to say."

Blue eyes narrowing in Sesshomaru's direction, Kouga scoffed. "Funny, I was about to say the same about the dominant you've chosen." Once again, Kouga grunted as Ayame's elbow dug deep into his ribs. He was beginning to think he'd have a permanent bruise there if he didn't learn to control his mouth.

Moving away from her intended mate, Ayame bowed deeply from the waist. "Inuyasha, it was a pleasure to learn, that for once, Kouga wasn't completely full of shit when he spoke so highly of you. I hope this is only the beginning of our acquaintance."

Unused to such proper etiquette, Inuyasha scratched absently behind an ear. "Yeah, I . . . uh, well, you ain't so bad either so I hope to see ya again."

Not content to let things go at that, Kouga looked up to Sesshomaru, his mouth opening to give some foolish kind of warning when he felt a painful yank on his tail. "Ayame, what the fuck was that for?"

Ayame sighed as her eyes rolled heavenward. "I'm simply trying to keep your stupid ass alive long enough to fill my belly with pups."

Blinking once, Kouga's smile became lecherous at the idea of his mate pregnant with his seed.

"Now, say goodbye to your friend and let's be on our way."

Mind preoccupied and full of Ayame's scent, Kouga had to wipe the drool from his lips before turning to Inuyasha. "See ya around, mutt. Tell that old miko that just 'cause you're not there don't mean I can't still come by and harass her."

Inuyasha took those words and knew what they really meant. In his own way, Kouga was telling him that he'd check in on Kaede, most likely before the snow began to fly. The wolf would make sure the human miko was well stocked on firewood and food. In the end, it was the best farewell Kouga could have given. Hands clenched into fists, Inuyasha struggled to keep his emotions under control, his gratitude threatening to undo his pride. "I'll tell her, but that don't mean you shouldn't expect an arrow aimed at your head."

Barking out a quick burst of laughter, Kouga turned, his tail swishing merrily from side to side as he began walking away with Ayame. "I'd be disappointed in the old wench if she didn't."

"Stupid fleabag's gonna get his tail shot off one of these days," Inuyasha muttered, but both wolves were already too far away to hear, leaving him alone with Sesshomaru.

Swallowing hard, Inuyasha felt a fine tremor go through his body at that thought. Alone. Alone with the powerful as fuck, dominant he'd agreed to mate. In that singular instant, the hanyou felt raw panic seize his gut as he wondered just what in the hell he'd been thinking when he agreed with this.

 _And there is chapter 9! So . . . not surprisingly (at least, I don't think), Inuyasha agreed to be Sesshomaru's mate. I know some of you were hoping/expecting a battle for Inuyasha, but I think Sesshomaru's reputation proceeds him and the other's wisely backed off. I think Sesshomaru kind of goes with the theory of, "Walk softly but carry a big stick"._

 _So, the following chapters will be a little one on one time with our favorite inu's. They need some time to get to know each other a little bit before taking the final mating plunge._

 _Last two items: 1 - I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the United States Supreme Court for legitimizing same sex marriage across the country and saying it is a constitutional right. That ruling did my heart good and almost made me cry with both relief and happiness. 2 - Go U.S. women's soccer team! We are so damn proud of you no matter what the outcome tonight. You ladies kick some serious ass!_

 _With that done . . . this story will hopefully get the mid-week update (assuming I can load the chapter). Until then, have a good week._

 _lunamist_


	10. Chapter 10

_Mid-week update! Yeah! Loved last chapter's reviews. Many of you are eager to see Inu no Taisho's reaction to Inuyasha as well as the one on one time between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. I also appreciated all the comments on Kouga's little "chat" with Sesshomaru. Unfortunately we will be without Kouga's company for much of the remainder of this fic. (he'll show up again towards the end). We'll meet other characters though, and Miroku's antics are there throughout. Also, remember that I told you this sucker is about 30 chapters long? Well, you can't really expect things between the Inu's to go completely smooth sailing in that time, can you ;-)_

 _Well, as promised, this chapter is all Inuyasha and Sesshomaru discovering a little more about each other. I have to say, I really enjoyed writing Sesshomaru in this_ _fic. He's just so . . . I don't know . . . maybe foolishly naive in his own way. He's so sure of himself that he just can't seem to figure out what's really going on._

 _Well, anyways, that's enough of my rambling for tonight._

 _Chapter 10 . . ._

Inuyasha had been staring at that white furry thing hanging off Sesshomaru's shoulder for the past few hours. And in that time, not a word had been spoken. In fact, besides a quick, "Come, Inuyasha," the InuYoukai had been damn silent, not that Inuyasha really minded. In point of fact, the hanyou had been alone for so much of his life that he found solitude and the silence it offered peaceful. But being alone by choice was a much different kettle of fish than being forced to be alone.

Fascinated by the gentle sway of Sesshomaru's fluffy thing as well as those pristine white robes, Inuyasha had been relatively content to pass the time as they had. After spending the last few days surrounded by the overwhelming scents and youkai of so many different beings, it was good to get back into the woods. And with each and every step they took, the hanyou found his nose clearing as the fresh scents of nature took over. Of course, being this close to his intended mate, the most prominent thing he still smelled was Sesshomaru.

Amber eyes finally looking away from the powerful InuYoukai walking in front of him, Inuyasha began pondering just how Sesshomaru knew where he was going. As far as he knew, Sesshomaru didn't know where Kaede's village was located and yet, he seemed to be following the exact same path Inuyasha and Kouga had taken to get to the Gathering.

Twitching an ear to get rid of a pesky fly, Inuyasha found he didn't really mind following behind Sesshomaru. Had it been Kouga, he would have already pushed the mangy wolf's face into the earth, but this seemed different. Plus, if he wasn't walking behind Sesshomaru, then he'd either be at his side or in front and he wasn't comfortable thinking of his intended mate having the same type of view he now had of Sesshomaru. Nor did he like the idea of the InuYoukai having this much spare time to think about all the things about him that Inuyasha was thinking about Sesshomaru.

Picking one foot up in front of another, Inuyasha pushed the exhaustion fighting his body. He'd been way more tired than this in his life and kept going, so this was really nothing more than an irritation. Still, he wondered if Sesshomaru intended to walk non-stop to Kaede's village. Given his still healing injuries and overall lack of nutrients these past few days, Inuyasha had to wonder if he would physically be able to do it. With a quick shake of his head, he pushed such thoughts away. Of course he could and would do it. Chances were he'd look like hell by the time they got there, but there was no way he was passing out and showing that kind of weakness to the dominant he'd just agreed to mate.

As for Sesshomaru, he was more than content to pass the time as they were and ever so pleased that the hanyou did not seem to feel the need to fill all the blissful silence with idle chatter. Far from thoughtless, Sesshomaru spent his time thinking over the ensuing days and months to come. Inuyasha's integration into the Western Lands and court life, seeing to the hanyou's protection and comfort, as well as going through a mental list of those suitable to the task of improving his mate's education and tactical abilities. Inuyasha had proven himself very capable and although Sesshomaru hoped to always be there to keep his mate safe, the notion that he would always be present at such times was foolish as well as reckless. In fact, Sesshomaru saw it as his duty to make Inuyasha as strong as possible in order to protect him to the fullest. In his mind, to do less was a failure as a dominant mate.

Sniffing the air again, Sesshomaru noted the hot spring he'd scented long ago had grown stronger. Veering ever so slightly from his path, the InuYoukai moved closer, deciding this would be a good spot to pass the evening. After spending the past few days in the presence of so many disgusting youkai, Sesshomaru thought both he and Inuyasha would enjoy a soak.

Curious when Sesshomaru moved off the path to Kaede's village, Inuyasha quickly figured out where the InuYoukai was headed and gave a silent sigh of relief. Kitanya had used the water from one of her waterskins to wash Jakotem's blood from his hands, but he still felt like he could scent the bastard's crimson fluid and it was irritating.

"We will spend the night here."

Finally coming up to Sesshomaru's side, Inuyasha stared out at the hot springs and couldn't find it in himself to do more than give a slight grimace at the order. But chances were pretty good that that shit was going to get really old really quick.

Rubbing a finger under his nose, Inuyasha gave a quiet sigh. "'Kay."

Hearing the slight hint of exhaustion that somehow managed to leak through Inuyasha's voice, Sesshomaru finally turned and felt the corners of his lips turn down ever so slightly. Now that he was looking, it was clear to see the hanyou was tired. And yet, Inuyasha had said nothing. He had not stumbled or broken stride for even an instant. Had the hanyou even breathed heavier, Sesshomaru would have noted it and investigated further. Displeased that he had failed to notice his submissive's health, Sesshomaru simply stared before stating, "You are not well."

Head snapping up, Inuyasha looked surprised before scowling. "-Keh, I'm fine."

"No, you are not. You're skin is pale and your body is tired."

But Inuyasha only waved a hand in dismissal. "This ain't nothin'."

"It is my duty – "

"No, it ain't!" Ears twitching with his irritation, Inuyasha shook his head. "I'm not gonna stand here and say I understand what it's like to be a dominant mate, but you gotta get it through your head that you're gonna be _my_ dominant mate."

Taken aback that he had been interrupted, Sesshomaru felt mokomoko fluff out in annoyance. "I do not understand what difference you are trying to convey."

Inuyasha took a deep breath that he soon regretted. It seemed like his ribs still weren't completely healed. "I'm a half-breed, and – "

"I have already stated that this is of little consequence."

No matter how many times he heard Sesshomaru say that, Inuyasha still found it unbelievable. Still, that wasn't the point he was trying to make. "I . . . I get what you're sayin' and as crazy as I think you are, I do believe you mean it. But, it does make me different and you gotta be able to deal with those differences and know that the quickest way to piss me off is to go makin' a fuss about it. The fact is, I'm gonna get tired quicker, heal slower, and need to eat more often but that don't mean I can't keep up. And I won't have you fussin' and worryin' over stupid shit. I won't be a burden."

Silently contemplative, Sesshomaru stared down at the burning amber eyes glaring up at him and realized that he had managed to highly offend the hanyou. "You expect me to ignore the state of your health?"

Inuyasha gave a sigh and shrugged. "No. I don't know . . . maybe not ignore it, but . . . trust that I'll be okay."

Sesshomaru really didn't know how that was going to work but he could see the hanyou's point. Youkai (and especially InuYoukai) were proud and being a half-breed had not curbed that inclination within his mate. Most likely Inuyasha's dual heritage had only fueled it.

Moving closer, Sesshomaru took a deep breath, inhaling Inuyasha's scent and as he'd suspected, felt it's calming affect reach deep into his soul. "I shall agree but you must also agree to inform me if there is anything going on within your body that is in need of immediate attention or threatening to your life. Should you fail to do this, I will have no choice but to, as you say, _make a fuss_ , regarding more simple ailments."

Inuyasha still didn't like it, but he could concede that he would at least try. "Fine."

Hearing nothing further, Sesshomaru raised a single eyebrow. "Then I shall assume that you are currently well enough."

"Yup."

"Then I shall leave you while I hunt for food." Seeing the hanyou's mouth open to protest, Sesshomaru let his youkai flare just a little. "You may hunt for us later. We shall share the duty while traveling."

Giving a huff, Inuyasha looked off to the side and gave another, "Fine."

Before turning to leave, Sesshomaru asked, "Do you have any dietary needs I should be aware of?"

Head immediately going down, Inuyasha hid his eyes with his bangs. He'd already gone through all this with Kitanya and didn't like the idea of telling Sesshomaru. But, seeing as how he was going to be living with the InuYoukai for probably the rest of his life . . . "I can't eat raw meat. Well, I mean, I can but it can make me really sick."

"You require it cooked?"

"Yeah."

Sesshomaru gave no comment, whether good or bad and simply turned. "I shall return shortly."

Looking up, Inuyasha's eyes just caught the edge of Sesshomaru's white robes as he vanished into the surrounding foliage. Head tilted up, Inuyasha stared at the stars peaking through the canopy of trees and wondered just how many more hits his pride was going to have to take. Of course, the stars offered no answers, but he felt like he probably already knew the answer anyway and didn't like it.

Alone once more, Inuyasha looked to the warm water and began stripping down, hoping to get done before Sesshomaru returned. Blushing a deep crimson, he briefly contemplated the thought that eventually, assuming the InuYoukai really did want pups, Sesshomaru was going to have to see him in nothing but his skin. Snorting while stepping into the soothing waters, Inuyasha thought just how dumb it was to be worried about being seen naked when there'd need to be a lot more intimate and embarrassing things going on if he was going to bear pups.

Clawed toes dancing along the rocks below, Inuyasha walked toward a deeper end of the spring, easing his body down and taking a moment to simply relax. He'd told Sesshomaru that his injuries and exhaustion were nothing to worry about and that was true because none of it was life threatening. That still didn't mean his body wasn't in need of rest and time to heal. Head tilted back, Inuyasha muttered a quiet, "Fuck, that feels good," before forcing himself into action. If he was going to get done before Sesshomaru came back, then he needed to get a move on.

With that thought in mind, Inuyasha moved to a different part of the spring, a place where it was shallower and the bottom was more silt than rock. Taking some of the silt, he began scrubbing his body down, finally getting the filth of the Gathering off him. Glancing off to his clothes, Inuyasha frowned. His firerat had already cleaned itself – a process that seemed continual, but his underclothes were still dirty.

Eyes scanning the surrounding area, ears perked for even the slightest noise, and nose twitching as it scented the air; Inuyasha couldn't find any hint that Sesshomaru was near and decided it was worth the risk if it meant cleaning his underclothes.

Quick as he could, Inuyasha darted back up on dry land, grabbed the necessary garments and jumped back in the water. Pleased at his success, Inuyasha was totally ignorant of the golden eyes tinged crimson that stared at him from just beyond the wooded edge.

With three rabbits in hand, Sesshomaru's tongue flicked out, tasting the faint hint of metallic blood. In the short time he'd been gone, the InuYoukai had taken down a deer and eaten the warm carcass on the spot. He'd thought of bringing back some for the hanyou, but thought the rabbits would most likely cook faster.

The whole hunting expedition had taken but a few minutes and he'd come back in time to see his intended mate shoot out of the water, grab some of his clothes and dash back in. In that short instant, Sesshomaru had taken the opportunity to visually examine the hanyou he intended to mate.

Slightly thinner than he'd like to see, Inuyasha was lean but did not appear emaciated. What he'd assumed to be a tanned hue to the hanyou's flesh seemed more doubtful now as the color remained the same even where clothes would normally cover. And, given Inuyasha's apparent modesty, Sesshomaru doubted it was due to lying in the sun naked. The injuries he'd seen Inuyasha take while fighting Jakotem did indeed seem to have been minor or well on the mend as the bruising across his chest was a mottled yellow/green, clearly pointing towards a fading wound.

Sesshomaru had known the hanyou to be slight of height and was unsure if this was due to his human heritage or if malnutrition had had a hand in Inuyasha's overall stature when he was young and in his formative years. Whatever the reason, given the fact that his intended mate had reached his maturity, it seemed unlikely the hanyou would grow further. Not that this bothered Sesshomaru. Size was rarely an indicator of a youkai's true strength and therefore he'd long ago learned to pay it little heed.

Pleased Inuyasha truly seemed minimally damaged, Sesshomaru moved into the small clearing around the spring, his presence immediately catching the attention of the still bathing hanyou.

Ears flicking to attention, Inuyasha's nose twitched as he both heard and smelled the InuYoukai's approach. Silently cursing his desire for clean clothes, the hanyou turned his body and sunk deeper into the water.

Cheeks painted crimson and ears flattened down into the strands of his hair, Inuyasha's wide amber eyes stared up at Sesshomaru. "I, uh . . . thought I'd try and rinse these out too."

Eyes as cold as ever, Sesshomaru gazed at his intended mate, or at least what he could see of him. Underclothes gripped tightly in front of his chest, the only parts of Inuyasha vaguely visible were located above the hanyou's chin. Modesty was not a trait most youkai had, especially Sesshomaru, but he was not unversed in the trait. "Given that you have agreed to be my mate, it is pointless to hide your body from my eyes."

Grip tightening upon the soaked clothes in his hands, Inuyasha wanted to feel angry but the nauseating pull threatening his empty stomach was too powerful. "We ain't fully mated yet." Even to the hanyou, that seemed like a lame excuse.

"As you wish." Thinking no more of the matter, Sesshomaru raised the hand holding the rabbits and asked, "I assume this will suite?"

Finally seeing what Sesshomaru had caught, the nauseous feeling in his belly began to fade. Pushing out of the water a little further, Inuyasha couldn't help but lick his lips. Sesshomaru didn't know it, but rabbit was just about his favorite. "Yeah." Seeing only the three, Inuyasha felt a little disappointed. He was hungry enough to devour all of them but most likely only one was intended for him. Well, he'd certainly survived on less.

Nodding once, Sesshomaru reached up to begin divesting himself of his clothes only to stop. It was their first night together and he had no desire to make the hanyou any more uncomfortable than he was. As it was not a matter of his intended mate's safety, he could indulge Inuyasha a bit. "I will collect firewood. It will take a few minutes to do so."

Opening his mouth, Inuyasha was about to protest that he was more than capable of collecting his own damn wood, but shut it quickly. Sesshomaru leaving would give him a good chance to get out of the water and put on his firerat. Quick to act, no more had the white of Sesshomaru's robes passed into the woods than Inuyasha was out of the water and scurrying to put on his clean firerat.

With all the important bits covered, Inuyasha let out a deep breath, his muscles finally relaxing. Going back to the edge of the hotspring, he quickly collected his soaking underclothes and draped them over nearby rocks and low hanging branches. Once the fire was started, he'd try and move them closer to dry overnight. With that done, the hanyou prepped a spot for the fire and then grabbed the rabbits and began cleaning them of their fur.

Inuyasha had just started on the last rabbit when Sesshomaru returned with an armful of various sized kindling. Without a word, the InuYoukai placed the wood beside the spot Inuyasha had prepped and began walking toward the water while simultaneously stripping his body of his clothes.

Unaware of Sesshomaru's naked state, Inuyasha turned his head to ask the InuYoukai something only to suck in a deep breath of admiration and awe. Back to him, Inuyasha was left with a vision of Sesshomaru's silvery-white strands of silky hair as it cascaded down a pristine, alabaster body. Blinking once, Inuyasha stared at the magenta stripes slashed not only along Sesshomaru's face and wrists, but along his thighs, calves, and upper arms. Chances were probably fairly good that they were also along the Western heir's torso as well, but Sesshomaru's hair and fur were blocking that view.

Swallowing past the dryness in his throat, Inuyasha couldn't believe the amount of rock-hard muscle the ice-prick was covered in. Given Sesshomaru's slender nature, no one would have ever guessed he looked like that under all that flowing white fabric.

Halfway immersed in the soothing, warm water, Sesshomaru turned his head slightly, catching the guilty eyes of one caught staring. As soon as their eyes connected, his hanyou lowered his head, a fresh blush of pink staining his cheeks. "As I do not share your same sense of modesty, I am not offended by your curious stares." But as those words left his mouth, Sesshomaru had to wonder at them. Although it was true that nudity (whether it be his or another youkai) mattered very little to him, had it been any other so blatantly staring, he would have been just as likely to pluck their eyes from their skulls as give a growl of warning.

Completely mortified, Inuyasha tucked his head down low while muttering a quiet, "-Keh, you're not that impressive, jackass."

Despite the lowered tone, Sesshomaru had no trouble hearing the words and might have been offended were it not for the subtle scent of desire wafting off the hanyou. Choosing to ignore the comment, Sesshomaru's eyes traveled over his hanyou, Inuyasha's calves and wrists peaking out from under the firerat he wore. Seeing those rarely exposed bits of flesh, Sesshomaru thought of others seeing the same thing and frowned. He had seen many youkai in not but their gods given skin and yet the thought of others seeing his hanyou thus exposed did not sit well with him at all. In fact, the more he thought on it, the angrier he became at the idea. "Inuyasha, you will not allow any other to see you unclothed."

Trying with all his might to concentrate of skinning the last of the rabbits, Inuyasha missed the possessive nature of the comment and only grunted a, "Yeah, I think that's somethin' we can both agree on. Besides, I don't think they'll be a lot of youkai out there linin' up to stare at my naked hanyou ass."

The thought of that alone turned Sesshomaru's vision crimson. "Not if they value their insignificant lives."

Finally catching the growl lacing Sesshomaru's voice, Inuyasha allowed his eyes to drift up, peaking through the strands of his bangs. But by the time he did so, the InuYoukai had turned his body just enough to hide his face. Confused, Inuyasha stared for a minute longer before shrugging his shoulders and returning to his task. Even if he'd been able to see Sesshomaru's face, he doubted he'd be able to make much out of it. The hanyou was fast learning that the Prince of the West was damn difficult to read, what with that permanent icy gaze the bastard seemed to have mastered straight out of the womb.

Final skin removed, Inuyasha placed the dry wood within his prepared space. A quick flick of one of his claws across a sharp rock soon ignited a spark and soon enough, a small blaze lit up their area. Pleased by the instant warmth, Inuyasha quickly speared the smallest of the rabbits and set it to cook. Without looking at the water, he asked, "You want anything else done to yours?"

Sufficiently soaked, Sesshomaru's graceful body glided out of the water, drops of fluid streaming from his body with efficient ease. "You may do with the rabbits as you like. They are all for you."

Surprised enough to forget Sesshomaru was most likely naked, Inuyasha's head shot up as he asked, "But what about you?" before quickly realizing his mistake and lowering his gaze to the safety of the fire.

As quickly as Inuyasha looked away, he missed the rare, quirked smirk lifting the right side of Sesshomaru's lips. "While hunting, I took down a deer and ate my fill. I would have brought the remainder of the carcass back, but assumed it would take longer to cook."

Walking to where his clothes lay, Sesshomaru wrapped his body in only the lightest of the fabric, leaving his outer robes and armor lying on the ground. Had the hanyou not been so embarrassed, he would have sat naked by the fire and thought nothing of it. In the end, it was a minor concession. "Was I wrong to assume you would desire more than one?"

Quickly skewering the other two rabbits and setting them over the fire to cook, Inuyasha shook his head. "No . . . no, I'll eat 'em. No use lettin' good food go to waste." Looking up, he was relieved to see Sesshomaru had at least partially covered himself. "You sure you don't want any?"

"I am quite full."

"Okay then." Reaching over, Inuyasha grabbed the waterskin Kitanya had given him and took a long drink before sheepishly asking, "You want any?"

"While hunting I drank from a nearby stream."

"I'll take that as a no then." Capping the waterskin, Inuyasha reached forward and rotated the rabbits. It wouldn't take long for them to cook enough to be safe for him to eat.

Golden eyes fixed, Sesshomaru stared through the fire at his hanyou's actions. Inuyasha was a master of efficiency at his task and soon the smell of roasting rabbit filled the area. Content to watch, Sesshomaru marveled at his own responses to every little thing Inuyasha did. Oddly amused, he inwardly smirked when his InuHanyou took his first bite, the meat still too hot and burning his tongue – the ensuing curses both colorful and imaginative.

Within no time at all, the rabbits were down to nothing but bone – something Sesshomaru and most other youkai would have eaten as well, but Inuyasha merely took the remaining carcasses and threw them into the fire to burn. And even that was interesting. Spending this kind of time alone together and observing his hanyou's actions was the most expedient way for him to learn how to care for his new submissive.

With that thought in mind, Sesshomaru decided they would continue walking, at least to this village his hanyou's miko lived in. The leisurely pace would be a good teaching tool. "Inuyasha, how far is it to your village?"

Blissfully sedate from his meal, Inuyasha yawned, the action showing off his fangs. "Eh? I thought you knew."

"Why would I know such a thing?"

Sitting up, Inuyasha used a back foot to scratch behind an ear, missing the slightly widened eyes of his intended mate as he was lost to the pleasure of subduing an unruly itch. "Well, you seemed to know where you were goin' earlier so I just assumed Kouga told ya or somethin'."

"The wolf prince had much to say, but the exact location of the miko, Kaede's village was not among them."

Inuyasha couldn't help but squirm. He didn't like the thought of Kouga telling Sesshomaru anything and had liked it even less when the two of them had gone off earlier to 'talk'. "Well, for not knowin', you sure as hell are goin' the right way."

"I was simply following the scent you left behind on your journey to the Gathering."

Mouth parting slightly, Inuyasha stared. "No shit? But, it was days ago that dogbreath and I came this way. And when we did, we were runnin' full steam." Running quickly through an area tended to decrease ones scent signature. Walking at a leisurely pace was the surest way to have your scent stick around for as long as possible.

"The bite of intention that I placed upon your wrist has sealed me as your dominant, as such, my senses have become much more attuned to you, especially your scent. It is another way for me to assure your safety for I can better track you than any other creature – youkai or otherwise."

"Oh." Inuyasha wasn't sure if that made him feel comforted or freaked out. He supposed it was meant to do the former, but when you had someone as powerful as Sesshomaru was that could always track your ass . . . well, it gave a half-breed pause.

Clearing his throat, Inuyasha pushed the unease from his mind. "Well, if we keep with the current pace, it'll probably take about five days or so. I can't say for sure since Kouga and I raced each other before."

Although he desired the time, five days would be a bit long. Miroku and Kitanya would be at the Western Palace by tomorrow and his father would not appreciate him lingering out in the wilds, especially without their mating being finalized. "We shall hasten our pace. Father will likely send out guards to locate us if we are not back within the palace walls within three days."

"Three days?" Inuyasha just shook his head. "I ain't exactly sure where the Western Palace is, but I can tell ya right here and now that there ain't no way. Even if I run full out in that time . . . it's just not possible." Running his hands through his drying hair, Inuyasha looked across the dancing flames to Sesshomaru. "If that's the case, then you better just head back first without me."

Sesshomaru was quick to calm his infuriated youkai. The mere thought of leaving his intended mate was . . . well, it was unthinkable. "Do not concern yourself with such matters. We have more than enough time to visit your miko and return to Lord Inu no Taisho."

"But – "

"You will see when the time comes."

Irritated but too tired to quibble, Inuyasha stood and began rearranging his wet clothes so they were closer to the fire. He was about to ask Sesshomaru if he wanted the same done with his clothes, but then Inuyasha remembered the InuYoukai hadn't cleaned them. Eyes suddenly fixed on the pristine white fabric; the hanyou wondered how anyone could keep clothes that spotless. "I guess you don't need your clothes cleaned."

"No. My robes are made from spider youkai silk and much like your firerat are self cleaning."

"Spider youkai silk? I never heard of anything like it."

"Indeed, it is exceedingly rare and my traveling clothes are the only ones made of it." Eyes still staring into the fiery flames, Sesshomaru's red tinged orbs were briefly obscure from Inuyasha. "Spider youkai are deceptive and irritating creatures. If you have never met one, then you are fortunate."

Inuyasha had met many different types of youkai during his days of wandering alone, almost all of them hostile. Consequently, it was easy for him to believe every word Sesshomaru said. "Well, if they're that bad, then I guess it ain't no great loss that I haven't seen one."

Eyes burning a deeper shade of crimson, Sesshomaru's voice was little more than a growl. "One shall not be allowed in your presence, especially without this Sesshomaru present."

Ears perking up at the hostility raging through Sesshomaru, Inuyasha wondered what exactly had happened in the past for his intended mate to be so adamant. Whatever the reason, he didn't much care and simply shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever." With his clothes now moved so they'd be dry by morning, Inuyasha stretched while looking around at the available trees. Thankfully there was a larger one close to the hotspring. Glancing in Sesshomaru's direction, Inuyasha scratched behind an ear in mild indecision before beginning to scale his newest sleeping quarters.

Curious about the odd sounds he was hearing, Sesshomaru turned his gaze towards his hanyou, his silvery-white eyebrows lifting slightly at the odd sight of Inuyasha settling down upon a sturdy limb. Quietly observing, it wasn't until his hanyou settled back against the trunk of the tree that Sesshomaru began to understand. "You intend to sleep within that tree?"

With a wide yawn, Inuyasha nodded. "You got a problem with that?"

Taking a moment to contemplate Inuyasha's actions, Sesshomaru questioned, "This is a normal activity for you?"

"Yeah. Again, you got a problem or what?"

At first, Sesshomaru had seen Inuyasha's actions as an insult to his abilities to protect his intended mate. But as with most issues concerning his hanyou, things were not entirely as they appeared. If Inuyasha had truly been on his own for much of his formative life, then learning to sleep high up within the towering canopy of a tree had most likely been the difference between death and survival. In truth, it was a useful skill. "In time, you will see there is no longer a need for such, but if it pleases you, then I have no objections."

"-Keh, as if it'd mattered if ya did," Inuyasha groused before shifting his weight and getting a little more comfortable. "Don't know what the big deal is anyway."

Face impassive, Sesshomaru wondered at such a statement. Did Inuyasha truly not understand how odd it was for a canine youkai to find comfort so high from the ground? Regardless, the Heir of the West let his magenta striped eyelids drop, the edges never meeting but allowing his eyes to rest as the remainder of his senses stayed on alert – forever searching the surrounding area for any and all serious threats. Always aware of his surroundings, Sesshomaru found his youkai even more attentive now that he had a claimed submissive.

With the immediate area clear, Sesshomaru's attention focused in on his hanyou, noting Inuyasha was not yet asleep. "You require rest, Inuyasha. I shall keep watch through the night."

"As if I need you to do that," Inuyasha huffed. In truth, he found it difficult to actually trust another with his safety. Hell he didn't even trust Kouga that much, let alone a youkai he'd just met. Dominant mate or no, Inuyasha wasn't about to just zone out and trust his life to anyone else.

Instead of calming, Sesshomaru's words had only seemed to increase his hanyou's anxiety. Confused, the InuYoukai remained where he was, silent and observant. As the minutes turned into hours, Inuyasha finally calmed, but his heart rate and tenseness of his body indicated that his rest would not be as replenishing as it should be. Unsettled by Inuyasha's unease, Sesshomaru did what he'd done just two nights ago and released a small amount of his youkai, its power used to soothe instead of intimidate. Thankfully, his hanyou responded once more and soon Inuyasha's body settled into a deep, peaceful slumber – the kind that would rejuvenate and heal.

Pleased that his intended mate was finally well, Sesshomaru allowed his own eyelids to fully close, but throughout the night, his youkai remained ever watchful of their charge.

::::::::::

Waking early, Inuyasha felt refreshed and quickly realized he'd slept much deeper than he'd intended, similar to just a couple of nights ago. The thought of allowing his body to be so vulnerable frightened him, but he didn't have much time to dwell on things as Sesshomaru was already up and fully dressed.

Jumping down from his high perch, Inuyasha landed gracefully upon the ground and was pleased when the action wasn't accompanied by a jolt of pain through his ribs.

"Are your injuries fully healed?"

Ears perking up, Inuyasha grinned while patting his chest. "Seems that way."

"Good. If you are at full capacity, we shall travel at a much quicker pace today."

Nodding, Inuyasha went about collecting his clothes, a light blush dusting his cheeks as his amber eyes shifted in Sesshomaru's direction. "I, uh . . . I'm just gonna go back behind those rocks and take care of some things."

Seeing no reason to answer, Sesshomaru simply watched his hanyou dart out of sight, but remaining close by. Soon, the sound of Inuyasha relieving himself touched the InuYoukai's ears and once more, he wondered at his hanyou's seemingly odd sense of modesty. Excreting waste from one's body was a natural process, hardly something to be ashamed of. Perhaps this was another one of the half-breed's human characteristics.

Finished urinating and dressing, Inuyasha left the safety of his rocky privacy screen; hands stuffed deep into the sleeves of his firerat and head bent so his bangs covered his eyes and cheeks.

"You are ready then?"

In answer, all Sesshomaru received was a nod and ear twitch.

"Then we shall proceed at the pace you and the wolf took. I believe that shall get us to your human village by tomorrow."

"-Keh, we can get there by mornin' if we keep goin' all night."

"There is no need. Arriving tomorrow afternoon is acceptable. We shall stop tonight so that we may both rest."

Inuyasha only shook his head. "I still don't see how you plan on gettin' back to the Western Palace in three days, but whatever."

Turning in the direction of the village, Sesshomaru waited for Inuyasha to come up level with his location. "I am uncertain as to your capabilities."

"Huh?"

"You're speed."

"Oh. Well, I can more than keep up with dogbreath and he's always boastin' about how damn fast he is but I guess I don't know for sure."

"Then today, you shall lead and I will adjust my speed to match."

Head tilted, Inuyasha's lip curled up into a smirk. "Just try and keep up, bastard."

And with that, Inuyasha sprinted off into the forest, never turning to see the ever so slight upturn of lips gracing Sesshomaru's face. In a blur of motion, the InuYoukai launched his body forward, pleased that he had to push his body to catch up to his hanyou. Indeed, Inuyasha was fast. The question was; how long could he keep it up?

To Sesshomaru's pleasure, Inuyasha turned out to have a large degree of stamina when it came to dashing through the forest. Oscillating between running full out on the ground and leaping through tree canopy, Inuyasha was at one time graceful and efficient – each foot placement picked for maximum output.

Eating up both time and ground, the two inu's passed the day and evening in silence, but the lack of words was anything but awkward. Much to Inu no Taisho's bafflement, Sesshomaru had always had a bit of wanderlust lurking in his blood. The Heir of the Western Lands often taking off for days at a time with only a vague knowledge of the path he had taken. And almost every time, Sesshomaru had spent those endless hours thankfully alone. Never before had he imagined he'd enjoy the company of another and yet now, as he glanced over at the flowing strands of silvery-white hair billowing in Inuyasha's wake, he couldn't help but feel a burst of warmth flood his chest. Walking yesterday and now going at their rapid pace, Sesshomaru enjoyed knowing his hanyou was so close by. Surprisingly, he found Inuyasha's presence more comforting than irritating.

And if the pleasant grin that seemed permanently affixed to Inuyasha's face was any indication, it appeared as if his hanyou felt the same. Then again, if Inuyasha really had spent most of his years out in the wilds as Kouga had described, it stood to reason his hanyou would see the surrounding wilderness as his home, much more so than any structure built of wood or stone.

But as evening turned into the darkness of night, Sesshomaru pushed his body just that much harder so that he was running beside his submissive. Voice clear and far from strained by the activity of running full out all day, Sesshomaru stated, "I smell a stream close by. We will stop for the night."

Annoyed at how damn perfect the jackass's voice still sounded, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "I . . . I c-can keep on go-goin' longer."

"Unnecessary. We shall stop."

Pace dropping off, Inuyasha was silently happy they were stopping, but didn't want the reason to be because Sesshomaru thought he needed a break. Stride now more at a trot than full on gallop, Inuyasha hopped from branch to branch as they made their way to the stream. Now on the ground, the hanyou kept on going just a little further until he was standing by the same outcropping of rocks he'd met Kouga at just a few short days ago. Finally stopped and staring at a rather large boulder, Inuyasha couldn't believe such a brief period of time had actually passed. Claws scraping the edge of the rock, he shook his head and whispered. "Gods, it feels like a lifetime ago."

The heavy stench of wolf littering the area made Sesshomaru's nose twitch. "This is where you met up with the wolf prince?"

"Yeah. It's a decent spot to stop. We're probably about three hours walk outside the village." Looking up at the stars, Inuyasha was amazed at the distance they'd covered. He'd run faster than when he'd been racing the mangy wolf. Then again, it was pretty late into the night. Had they kept running, they could have easily made it to the village in no time, but it would be in the wee hours of the morning and he hated the thought of waking Kaede. Given her miko skills, she'd sense their approach and would haul her ancient body out to the edge of the forest to greet them. Powerful or not, in Inuyasha's mind, Kaede had no business being out by the forest edge at that time. Death was quickly marching to claim his miko and the hanyou saw no need to hasten its pace.

Staring at the stream, Inuyasha began rolling up his pants before removing his firerat and laying it across a nearby rock. "Fish okay with you?"

Quickly catching on to his hanyou's intentions, Sesshomaru shook his head. "The deer I consumed last night more than filled my needs."

Now ankle deep in water, Inuyasha's head swiveled as his eyes went wide. "Really? You only need to eat every few days? You ain't even hungry?"

"Eating such a large quantity can sustain me for several days. Typically at the palace, I take a meal daily, but each one is of a much smaller quantity."

Blinking once, Inuyasha realized that when Sesshomaru said he'd eaten a deer, he'd meant that he'd eaten the whole damn thing, or at least, most of it. Eyes drifting down the InuYoukai's slim figure, he had to wonder where on earth something like that had gone. The bastard's stomach hadn't even been distended last night when Inuyasha had seen him naked and climbing out of the hotspring.

Face flushed anew at the thought of Sesshomaru's naked body, Inuyasha promptly turned his head away and mumbled a, "Whatever" before cocking his ears forward, his amber eyes poised in concentration as he began _fishing_ for his dinner.

Curious, Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha's puppydog ears swivel quickly, only to stop just as abruptly as his hanyou concentrated on the task at hand. Almost quicker than even his eye could follow, Inuyasha's clawed hand darted into the water and came back out with one wiggling fish. Tossing the creature over onto dry land, his hanyou repeated the process again and again until there were a good five fish flopping about on shore.

Satisfied, Inuyasha held the long strands of his hair back as he bent over and took a long drink from the stream. Once he'd taken his fill, he easily climbed back up only to find that Sesshomaru had already assembled a decent size collection of kindling and more substantial branches for a cooking fire. And, just like Kitanya, the InuYoukai had no need of a rock to rake his claws across, only flicking them against each other and sparking flame.

With his fire already made, Inuyasha quickly cleaned and gutted his fish and soon enough had them roasting. In the background, Inuyasha watched as Sesshomaru went to the stream to quench his own thirst before removing his outer armor and setting by the fire.

Downing three of the fish quickly, Inuyasha slowed down by the fourth and found his mind wandering, his eyes focusing on the bite on his wrist. Sesshomaru had propositioned him and placed his mark of intention a day and a half ago. Right after it had happened, Sesshomaru had touched him with that fluffy thing but had done little else since then. Not that Inuyasha really wanted the ice-prick to touch him . . . did he?

When Sesshomaru had stood before him on the field, Inuyasha had questioned why the perfect InuYoukai wanted to mate him – a half-breed, and Sesshomaru hadn't given an answer, at least, not really. He had to wonder, did the bastard even find him attractive? And why the fuck was it so important to Inuyasha that he did?

Ever observant of his new submissive, Sesshomaru watched his hanyou's eating pace slow to barely a crawl. He'd been amazed at how quickly the first few fish had been consumed, but now it appeared as if Inuyasha's mind was far from focused on the task of nutrition. As Inuyasha's dominant, it was important for him to know just how much sustenance his hanyou required. "Are you no longer hungry?"

Eyes shooting up, Inuyasha stared. "What?"

"You devoured the first three fish quickly and now seem to have little interest in the remaining two."

Instantly, Inuyasha's ears flattened into his hair. "You makin' fun of the way I eat?"

"No. I am simply curious as to how much food you require."

"Oh, sorry," Inuyasha mumbled while scratching behind an ear. "I'll eat 'em. I'm still hungry and I don't let food go to waste." Plucking another piece of fish and plopping it in his mouth, Inuyasha barely chewed and swallowed before adding, "Just thinkin' about things."

Momentarily quiet, Sesshomaru waited for his hanyou to say more but soon found no words forthcoming. Still, he didn't like the look now etched across Inuyasha's face. "There is something that you wish to ask this Sesshomaru?"

Glancing up, Inuyasha felt his ears twitch in nervousness. "I . . . maybe."

"You may ask your questions."

With a harsh swallow, Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru's stone-cold face and thought that probably wasn't an offer too many youkai got. And, although he was nervous, Inuyasha knew that if he didn't ask, he'd just dwell on things and wind up doing something stupid sooner or later. Decision made, he took a deep breath and asked, "Do you like me?"

Not fully understanding the question, Sesshomaru answered, "You are tolerable."

 _Tolerable?_ What the fuck did that mean? "That's it? That's enough for you to ask me to be your mate?"

Given his hanyou's tone, Sesshomaru quickly realized his answer was not what Inuyasha wished to hear. "I am not sure I understand exactly what you are asking, Inuyasha."

"We . . . I mean, you asked me to be your mate and we even talked about pups, but . . . do you, uh . . . do you want me in that way?"

"If you are questioning this Sesshomaru's ability to perform and sire pups, then ease your mind. I have rutted both males and females and am capable of gaining an erection with both. Gender is of little consequence."

Face flaming red, Inuyasha could only stare as he contemplated the cold indifference Sesshomaru had just spoken with. "You act like it was a job or somethin'. Didn't doin' those kinds of things mean anything to you?"

"Rutting and producing an heir to the Western Lands is my responsibility and thus could be looked at as a job. However, I did not previously rut with the desire or intent to sire pups. The incidents were little more than a way to satisfy the needs of my body."

"Oh." Looking down at the last of his fish, Inuyasha felt his appetite all but wane. Although he hadn't been around a lot of youkai to fully understand mating practices, he'd thought there would at least be some type of attraction and desire. Kouga seemed to like Ayame an awful lot anyways.

Seeing the somewhat dejected look on his hanyou, Sesshomaru felt unsettled. "Was it not the same for you?"

Eyes glancing back up, Inuyasha was confused. "Me? Was what the same?"

"Although young, you are old enough to have felt the desire to rut. Was it not just a way to satisfy a need?"

Inuyasha just shook his head. "No, I ain't never done anything like that. Most humans are scared of me and youkai generally wanna gut me, not . . . well, you know, they ain't really interested in doin' that with me."

Inside, Sesshomaru's youkai growled with nothing short of pure pleasure at the idea that their hanyou had yet to be taken by another. Overall Inuyasha's confession pleased the InuYoukai to no end and yet his hanyou's inexperience would need to be taken into account when they finally did consummate their mating. "You need not fear the act of consummation."

"What? Who the fuck said I was afraid?"

"Having no experience in this matter, trepidation of the unknown combined with the necessity to allow your body to be so vulnerable for breeding would naturally make one wary. Fear of such an event would be expected."

Eyes wide and staring, Inuyasha just couldn't seem to get over how mater of fact Sesshomaru spoke of mating. Practical and forthright, Inuyasha had never considered himself a romantic and yet the way his intended mate spoke about what would be their most intimate of moments bothered him. It was, in a word, disappointing. Shaking his head of such frivolous thoughts, Inuyasha pushed such feelings deep down. Just having a mate like Sesshomaru was more than he'd ever expected from life. He should be happy with what he had and not get greedy. If this was all he could expect from the Iceprince of the West, then so be it. It was enough. It had to be.

Watching, Sesshomaru was disappointed to find Inuyasha had once again lowered his head and hidden his expressive eyes behind thick silvery-white strands of hair. Still sensing his hanyou's discomfort, the InuYoukai thought to alleviate what he erroneously thought was the problem. "Although mature and capable of breeding, you are still far too young for such things. We will need to consummate our actual mating, but rutting for procreation sake will not occur until you are older and your body is both healthy and strong enough to carry."

Fists clenching, Inuyasha's heart squeezed painfully within his chest. It was true that rutting frightened him and yet, if what he'd observed over the years between both humans and youkai were true, most mated pairs rutted often simply for the pleasure of the activity – because they desired to be close to each other in such a way. But that didn't appear to be the case with Sesshomaru. In fact, in his own way, the Prince of the West had just answered his question, and no, Sesshomaru didn't really find him attractive or desirable.

Eyes closing, Inuyasha fought back the futile sting of tears. Sesshomaru hadn't lied to him when he'd asked the hanyou to be his mate. In the end, Inuyasha would have true mate status. When pups came, he'd have a part in their upbringing and life. Sesshomaru would protect him because he was the intended bearer of the next heir to the Western Lands. Inuyasha would be fed, sheltered and on some level respected, but he would not be loved or cherished simply for who he was. His mate would always have a reason or agenda with each and every one of their interactions. He would be needed but not necessarily wanted.

Heart heavy, Inuyasha forced the rest of the now cold fish into his mouth and swallowed the nauseating substance into his stomach. Keeping his head down and voice as steady as possible, he stood and began heading for one of the larger trees. "Whatever. Just let me know when I'm needed for somethin'." Fearing his emotions would seep through, Inuyasha leapt into the nearby canopy and quickly moved to a branch facing away from Sesshomaru. Pulling his firerat close around his body, he brought his knees up and tightly sat while staring up into the star filled sky. In Inuyasha's mind, he could see the blue, lust filled eyes of his friend as Kouga stared longingly at Ayame, her coy grin his reward. It was a look he was certain would never be reflected back to him by his own mate.

Quietly sitting by the fire, Sesshomaru watched his hanyou rise and move from his line of sight. Unclear as to what Inuyasha's exact concerns were the InuYoukai remained silent as he monitored his intended mate's condition. Heart rate too rapid to imply sleep, Inuyasha's irregular breathing was testament to the fact that he was not sleeping well. Seeking to aid his submissive's health, Sesshomaru sent his soothing youkai out once more, only to have it metaphorically shoved back in his face. Golden eyes flying wide before narrowing, Sesshomaru quickly noted that unlike the two previous times he had attempted such a thing, this night brought no comfort to his hanyou. If anything, Inuyasha was becoming more agitated and the low whine that emitted from within the canopy his hanyou had chosen made Sesshomaru pull back.

Confused and . . . upset, Sesshomaru remained where he was, his youkai pacing deep within his soul. Throughout the night, the Prince of the West tried to imagine what could have changed and yet he could not conceive of a single action that would have elicited such rejection from his intended mate.

That night, but a precious few hours outside Kaede's village, both InuHanyou and InuYoukai rested fitfully.

 _Yes, poor Inuyasha, but I kind of feel even more sorry for Sesshomaru. When I think of trying to have "the sex talk," with Sesshomaru, I kind of envisioned it going down like that - very practical, without feeling or emotion, and to the point._

 _Next chapter we get to see Kaede again. I haven't reviewed that one yet so I'm not sure if they make it back to the Western Palace in the next chapter or if it is the one after, but either way it will be soon. Oh, one last thing. I had a reviewer comment about Inuyasha's human night coming up and well . . . he sort of doesn't have one in this fic. I thought about it, but didn't think it fit well into this story, so for this one, he remain's a hanyou throughout. Hope that doesn't disappoint anyone. I wrote about his human night in the Bakusen'O fic and again in the Chaos one and couldn't figure out how to do it with a new twist so I just did as Elsa did and "Let it go". Now you all hate me because you're singing the song! Ha!_

 _Until Sunday, lunamist_


	11. Chapter 11

_I laughed at many of your reviews this last time. Many of you were equally appalled and entertained by Sesshomaru's frank "sex" talk. I also got a funny review about imagining how the classic "Birds and Bee's" talk will go down between Sesshomaru and his own kid. Well, let's just hope that Inuyasha and Miroku take care of that one. Or better yet, maybe just Miroku :-)_

 _Many of you are anxiously awaiting Inu no Taisho's meeting with Inuyasha. This chapter was originally supposed to be 2 separate ones but as I was reviewing it last night, I combined them into a very long (long for me anyways) combined chapter. I think most of you like longer chapters. Most of the time I break them where I think they make the most sense, thus leaving variations, but you've all been so great with the reviewing, that I thought I'd go ahead and combo this one. I don't think it breaks up the flow too much to do so and since this isn't a week for a second update during the week, I thought I'd give you all a bit more to tide you over. Because of this and perhaps chapter changes in the future, this may not be 30 chapters long. It won't effect the overall length or content of the story, just how long it takes to post it._

 _Chapter 11 . . ._

Words barely spoken the following morning, both inu's woke up early, neither having rested well. Throughout the night, Inuyasha had raged an internal battle – his mind warring viciously with his heart. In the end, the hanyou decided, as usual, his heart would just need to grow a bit tougher and pushed the previous night's words from both his head and heart. Whatever his future held, he would face it and survive. He'd make the best of the situation.

Scratching behind an ear, Inuyasha motioned toward the direction of the village. "Kaede'll be up anytime so I don't really see the need to waste any more time."

Nodding once, Sesshomaru indicated they should begin and once more allowed Inuyasha to set the pace. Not quite as fast as yesterday, but not nearly so slow as a walk, they were soon standing at the forest's edge, an ancient miko with bow and arrow standing guard.

Golden eyes cold and calculating, Sesshomaru quickly analyzed the threat the spiritual human held. Although it was true that this miko was very old, her very age was the reason she was so dangerous, perhaps not to one of his power, but Inuyasha was another matter entirely. Watching the elderly human, Sesshomaru asked, "Inuyasha, you know this miko?"

"-Keh, yeah, I know the old wench."

Without fully meaning to, Sesshomaru's eyes trailed from the miko to his hanyou. Although the words had been harsh, the genuine affectionate tone they were spoken with was something he'd not heard before. And just as always, Inuyasha's expressive amber eyes were warm with love and regard. For an instant, Sesshomaru wondered if such an expression would ever be bestowed upon him. It was a thought whose importance puzzled the InuYoukai.

Smiling, Kaede's singular eye crinkled with happiness. "Inuyasha, I see ye have returned, and have brought a new friend with ye." Smile fading, Kaede turned her wizened brown eye upon the powerful InuYoukai before her. "Ye are quite powerful. In truth, I have not sensed such a powerfully restrained youkai since I was in the presence of the Lord of the West."

Rarely had Sesshomaru ever felt the need to speak with a human, let alone explain whom he was, but this miko did seem different. "Lord Inu no Taisho is my sire. I am the Heir of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru."

Huffing, Inuyasha stuffed his hands into his sleeves. The damn ice-prick was always so formal. Having no more than turned his head to roll his eyes, Inuyasha felt a smack to the back of his head, barely missing a sensitive ear. "Damn-it wench, what the fuck was that for?"

With a shake of her head, Kaede sighed. "Have I taught ye no manners over these past few years?"

Embarrassed for having been scolded, Inuyasha hung his head while listening to Kaede introduce herself. "I am Kaede, resident miko of this village. As one of its elders, I would like to welcome the Prince of the West."

Satisfied that at least this human was showing the proper respect, Sesshomaru merely nodded in acknowledgement.

Having given their proper introductions, Kaede turned once more to the pouting hanyou. "Inuyasha, it is good to see ye again and looking so well." Moving closer, the old miko reached out a hand, her fingers crooked with age and disease and yet her touch gentle and soothing to the hanyou's skin. Feeling Inuyasha lean into her touch, Kaede smiled wistfully. "Ye aura is different child. Is it too much for this old woman to hope ye have found a proper mate?"

Amber eyes bright, Inuyasha stared into Kaede's telling eye and wondered how he'd ever thought he'd be able to lie to her. Of course the old bat would have been able to tell he hadn't been claimed. Damn miko's and their abilities to read auras. Unable to form the words, Inuyasha nodded his head while his cheek was still being gently held within Kaede's hand.

Soft smile turning into a happy grin, Kaede gave a final gentle pat to Inuyasha's skin before lowering her arm and reaching instead for his right hand. Turning the hand palm up, she pushed back the fur of the firerat, her eye landing on the distinct mark of claiming on Inuyasha's wrist.

Satisfied, Kaede released Inuyasha's hand and moved back a step. Glancing to the Prince of the West, she gave a quizzical look while wondering exactly what purpose he had in being here. Perhaps a dominant within the Western Court had claimed her hanyou. It was a thought that brought a spark of cautious hope to her heart. She wanted a life-mate for Inuyasha, one that would treat him well and would live just as long if not longer than his youkai fueled life. But, being a half-breed, she knew well that finding a good match would be difficult if not impossible.

Not wishing to offend the son of the Lord whose lands she and those of her village resided within, Kaede gave a slight bow while placing the arrow she held within the case strapped across her back. "I beg ye pardon, Prince Sesshomaru, but might I inquire as to what we owe the pleasure of thee"s visit?" No more had the words left her mouth than Kaede saw a pink blush rise up upon Inuyasha's cheeks.

Curious as to the hanyou's reactions, Kaede felt her heart stutter when Sesshomaru's cold voice stated, "I have claimed the InuHanyou known as Inuyasha as my mate and bearer of the future heirs of the West."

Mouth dropping, Kaede's brown eye went wide as her legs wavered. "Ye . . . ye have claimed Inuyasha?" Worry soon replaced her shock and Kaede turned to Inuyasha, all notion of propriety gone. "Child, is this true?"

Letting out an embarrassed huff, Inuyasha looked off to the side. "Yeah, all the gods know why I agreed. Seemed like a good idea at the time I guess."

Hands moving quicker than her age should allow, Kaede reached forward and cupped both cheeks of the hanyou, moving Inuyasha's face so that he was staring into her worried eye. "Tell me true, ye are to be a real mate, not . . . not just . . . "

Placing his clawed fingers over Kaede's hands, Inuyasha smiled at the concern the old woman held. Ignoring the growl of irritation from Sesshomaru, Inuyasha simply answered, "I made him promise before I said yes. I'll get full mate status and he won't take our pups away from me."

Hands now shaking, Kaede allowed her head to drop as she silently thanked the gods. Not releasing Inuyasha's cheeks, the miko whispered her apology. "Forgive me for doubting one of ye status, Prince Sesshomaru, but I had to be certain. I . . . Inuyasha deserves nothing less."

"I will tell you what I have told the hanyou, this Sesshomaru does not say things he does not mean and to imply that Inuyasha would simply be used for breeding is an insult to the Western Lands."

"Again, my apologies."

Pulling out of Kaede's touch, Inuyasha turned on Sesshomaru, a snarl upon his lips. "Don't get so damn huffy with the old wench." Hooking a thumb in Kaede's direction, Inuyasha added, "Unlike you, she knows damn well that I'm a half-breed and what that typically means."

Silent, Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha defended his miko and thought the situation odd. As a rule, youkai and humans did not intermingle, at least not on a social level, and to have such a close relationship with a human of Kaede's power – a human that actually had the ability to do great harm and even kill youkai was even stranger. And yet, there was no hint of fear within Inuyasha. Instead, earlier when the miko had been touching his hanyou, he'd sensed nothing but calm.

More curious than angered, Sesshomaru stared at the withered old woman, his eyes betraying none of his curiosity. "The wolf prince informed me of your aid when Inuyasha was injured."

Snarling, Inuyasha felt his fists clench. "That damn wolf had no business – "

Ignoring the rant, Sesshomaru inclined his head toward the miko as a sign of respect. "Although unaware of it at the time, you have done this Sesshomaru and the Western Lands a great service and you have our appreciation."

Mouth clamping shut, Inuyasha could only stare in wonder. He'd only known Sesshomaru for a few short days but it had been more than enough time to figure out that the Prince of the West didn't lower his head to anyone very often.

Kaede probably understood the significance of the move more than Inuyasha and felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Never in all her long years had she thought to even meet the Heir of the Western Lands in person, let alone have him show this kind of deference to her. Recovering quickly, Kaede bowed low in return. "Ye have nothing to thank me for, my prince. If the pup ever owed a debt, he has repaid it ten-fold by now." Back cracking as she straightened, Kaede sent Inuyasha a warm smile. "Having ye around has been good for this old soul."

Flushing, Inuyasha felt that same, rare warmth steal into his chest. Rubbing a finger under his nose, the hanyou soon turned his attention to the village below. "I'll bet you've already gone through at least half the wood I chopped for ya."

"Aye, most likely that be true."

Without thought or question, Inuyasha reached out a hand, steadying Kaede's elbow as he began walking them both down the hill. Head tilting over his shoulder, Inuyasha looked up to Sesshomaru. "I gotta take care of a couple of things before we head out. You don't gotta come."

Sesshomaru did not care for the idea of spending any time in a human village, but he did not wish to leave Inuyasha alone nor did he wish to shorten his hanyou's time with this odd human miko. Saying nothing, the Prince of the West began following at a short distance, the quizzical look he received from Inuyasha proof enough that his hanyou had expected him to remain where he was.

Walking amidst the rather sparse looking wooden structures, Sesshomaru had to fight every one of his instincts to maintain his indifferent façade. It seemed like everything about this small space was an assault to his senses. While disease and decay overwhelmed his sense of smell, the sound of crying infants and rough slang pierced his sensitive hearing. Knowing Inuyasha's sense of smell to be equal to his and suspecting his hanyou's hearing to be even better than his own left Sesshomaru wondering how on earth his intended mate had lived in such a place for so long.

Standing upon Kaede's porch, Inuyasha stared at Sesshomaru. Of course the hanyou knew what the village smelled like and figured Sesshomaru was disgusted with the place and yet the ice-prince's face looked as cold and distant as ever. Quickly ducking into Kaede's hut to evaluate her firewood situation, Inuyasha came back out to stand next to Sessshomaru. "I'm gonna stock up her supplies and check the roof. You stayin' here or what?"

Quietly standing, Sesshomaru's golden gaze scanned the area, easily noting the prying eyes of several humans. And in many of those same orbs, there was nothing but heated displeasure when they fell upon Inuyasha. There was a hostility to the environment that was not directed at him, but his intended submissive. It was a hostility Inuyasha seemed practiced at ignoring. Decision easily made, the Prince of the West responded, "This Sesshomaru shall remain here."

"Suit yourself," Inuyasha answered with a shrug before walking off and disappearing behind the house. Soon enough Sesshomaru heard the fall of an axe upon wood.

As the late morning wore on, Inuyasha chopped all the remaining wood, moving a healthy portion of it into Kaede's stores within her hut. Once done, he scampered up on the roof and shored up any potential problems. Throughout it all, Sesshomaru remained where he was, not a foot out of place from where he'd originally settled.

Done with the physical labor, Inuyasha went into the hut and proceeded to tell Kaede an abbreviated version of what had happened during the Gathering, including how he'd come away with a servant named Kitanya and a powerful dominant mate. Throughout the stories, Kaede smiled, nodded and laughed away her worries. Both pretended as if this was not the last time they would most likely spend time together, opting to enjoy their final hours together without regret.

The arrival of early afternoon brought an end to their pleasant conversation and Inuyasha rose to leave, Kaede following closely behind and onto the small porch. Looking to Sesshomaru, Kaede gave a small bow of her head before wrapping her withered fingers around Inuyasha's forearm. "If it will suite, I will walk with ye to the edge of the wood."

"You sure you're up to it, ya old wench?"

"I assure ye, I am more than capable of treading up and down that hill."

Sending a quick look in Sesshomaru's direction, Inuyasha was relieved when the InuYoukai simply turned and began a leisurely pace toward the forest surrounding the village. Quietly walking, not a word was said as they reached the top of the small hill, the wooded line of forest but a few feet away.

Turning, Inuyasha felt the pain of loss tug once more at his heart, his mouth dry with things he thought he should say but knew he never would. Easily seeing the emotions the hanyou was trying to suppress, Kaede smiled knowingly, her lips on the verge of beginning their goodbyes when a villager scrambled over the rise of the hill, his eyes quickly lighting upon the old miko.

"Lady Kaede, Jinri's cough has . . . " coming to an abrupt stop, the middle aged human went rigid; his face contorted down into a deep frown when he saw the hanyou was still there. Eyes quickly taking in Sesshomaru, the villager stupidly disregarded the lean figure as a lesser threat. Attention back on Inuyasha, the human scowled deeply. "Ain't you gone yet?"

Face tight, Inuyasha's lips curled up into something resembling a smile. "Almost. Just saying goodbye to Kaede."

With a grunt, the human turned back to Kaede. "You shouldn't be wasting your time with the half-breed, Lady Kaede. He's caused you enough grief and you've already done far too much for something like him."

Kaede never got the opportunity to reprimand the foolish human.

"You would do well to respect the future mate of your prince, human."

Amber eyes wide, Inuyasha's head snapped up when he felt a spike in Sesshomaru's youkai. "Sesshomaru?" But the InuYoukai wasn't paying a bit of attention to him. Instead, the ice-prick's golden eyes were rimmed in crimson.

Having no spiritual powers and allowing his eyes to be deceived by the fairly unthreatening appearance Sesshomaru had, the human rolled his eyes. "No prince would ever choose a mutt like him as a mate." Cruel eyes drifting back to Inuyasha, the man added, "He's worthless."

Feeling Sesshomaru's rage spike, Inuyasha shot forward, his hand barely reaching Sesshomaru's raised arm as his poison tipped claws sizzled in their quest for the human's wretched throat. Holding Sesshomaru back was taking the full weight of Inuyasha's body while both hands struggled against that one arm. "He's just a stupid human spoutin' dumb shit. Back off."

"He insulted this Sesshomaru's mate. His life is meaningless."

Shifting his weight, Inuyasha threw his body against Sesshomaru's chest - the action just enough to force the InuYoukai to take a step back. "If you go killin' all the stupid humans and youkai that insult me, then you ain't gonna have much of a Land to rule over. God's above, you are gonna have to learn to control that shit." Feeling the blossoming bruise on the arm he'd used to shove Sesshomaru back, Inuyasha grunted. "Damn, that was like throwin' my body against a mountain."

Eyes now back to their burnished gold, Sesshomaru's attention focused down on the panting hanyou. Actually, he was surprised Inuyasha had been able to move him at all. Unfortunately, he was also surprised at how quick and violent his reaction to the human's words had been. Although he did not agree that human or youkai should be allowed to speak so of his intended mate, Inuyasha was correct that he would need to control his reaction to such words. Looking over at the cowering human, Sesshomaru also had to agree with something else: this pathetic human male did not deserve the honor of dying by Sesshomaru's hand.

Seeing that Prince Sesshomaru had settled, Kaede turned her narrowed brown eye on the villager. "Go now. I will be there shortly to see to Jinri."

Not needing to be told twice, the villager turned, tripped once and then took off down the hill on trembling legs.

With the human gone, Kaede could only sigh. Decades had passed and yet many of their prejudices seemed hopelessly intact. She would miss Inuyasha greatly, but she knew leaving this village was for the best. And Prince Sesshomaru's response gave her kindling to fuel her hope that the hanyou's life would be better in his new home.

Barely noting the human's departure, Sesshomaru's eyes zeroed in on his hanyou's left arm as Inuyasha rubbed it tenderly. Reaching forward, the InuYoukai's now poison free claws touched Inuyasha's fingers, gently brushing them aside. "You are injured?"

Smacking away Sesshomaru's touch, Inuyasha stepped back. "-Keh, it ain't nothin'."

"You should not come between this Sesshomaru and his prey."

Inuyasha supposed that should have frightened him, but instead, it just pissed him off. "So I just should've let you slice and dice up that human?"

"I do not see how it would have been a great loss."

Inuyasha just shook his head. "Typical pure-ass youkai, of course you don't." Lifting his good arm, the hanyou pointed down toward the village. "That human has a wife and three kids. If you'd of killed him, then that leaves those kids without a father and that means less food for the table, less wood for the fire, and more work on kids that should be runnin' around and bein' stupid children rather than workin' their hands to the bone just to survive."

Never blinking once, Sesshomaru stared down on his smaller submissive mate. He'd known his hanyou was different, but this was exceeding even his expectations. He knew Inuyasha to be prideful so one would think such insults would incite the intent to do harm and yet his hanyou was able to see past that. Sesshomaru cared little for humans and as a general rule, thought them a blight upon the land. The loss of one or five was of little consequence and in his view, would most likely improve the area instead of hinder it.

Recognizing the passion behind Inuyasha's words, Sesshomaru's cold features belied his confusion. Although he found his hanyou's actions noble, he could not understand them and stated that very opinion.

Turning from Sesshomaru, Inuyasha stared down at the village he would soon be leaving and whispered a sad, "I know you don't."

Giving another great sigh, Kaede shuffled forward, the deep brown of her eye intense as she looked to Sesshomaru. "My prince, might I have a final, private word with Inuyasha?"

"I shall wait just inside the forest edge." Turning, Sesshomaru didn't bothering looking to Kaede as he spoke, "You will be welcome within the Western Palace, but Inuyasha will not be returning to this village."

Frustrated that Sesshomaru was dictating where he could and couldn't go, Inuyasha turned, a growl on his lips that faded when he felt Kaede's crooked fingers squeeze his good arm. "Come, Inuyasha. Our time is short."

Huffing, Inuyasha stuffed his hands into his sleeves. "-Keh, the jackass thinks he can tell me what to do."

"He is a powerful dominant, Inuyasha. It is his duty to protect ye from harm. It is an instinct he can do little to fight."

The thought that the only reason Sesshomaru seemed to care so much was because of instinct didn't really make Inuyasha feel that much better.

Stopping just at the crest of the hill, Kaede turned and looked up at her hanyou. "Inuyasha, ye have brought great joy to this old miko's heart and I am pleased to have ye mated."

"I ain't mated yet."

"True, but a mark of intention is as good as mated in most eyes." Kaede watched as Inuyasha's face flushed, a clawed finger reaching up to scratch the back of a twitching puppydog ear.

Rubbing the bite mark on his wrist, Inuyasha looked down on the village. "You, uh . . . you know, you put up with a lot of shit from those stupid humans when ya took me in, so, um . . . I guess I just wanted to say thanks."

Reaching up, Kaede ran her fingers through Inuyasha's soft cottony white strands of hair, knowing she would miss the feel of it when he was gone. "Not all of the humans in the village saw ye as lesser, but as it has always been, those that have ill thoughts seem to have the loudest voices."

At that, Inuyasha could only grunt.

"Inuyasha, ye must promise me that ye will give Prince Sesshomaru a chance to prove himself worthy of ye."

Turning, Inuyasha gave Kaede disbelieving eyes. "Somehow, I don't think him bein' unworthy of me is the problem."

"Nay, ye are wrong. Inuyasha, ye have never understood thee's true worth. Prince Kouga could see it and now Prince Sesshomaru does as well. Ye have much to offer and the Western Lands be fortunate to have ye."

"I always did think ya weren't quite right in the head, ya old wench."

Laughing, Kaede released Inuyasha's hair. "Ye may be right." Taking in a deep breath, Kaede refused to allow sadness into this moment. "I think we've kept yer mate to be waiting long enough and I've a notion the Prince of the West is not used to being made to do such a thing."

"-Keh, stupid ice-prick."

Ignoring the derogatory words, Kaede leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Inuyasha's cheek. "Now, I taught ye to write and I expect ye to put that skill to good use. I want to know how ye are getting along and should ye need anything . . . I . . . "

"I know," Inuyasha answered, and he did truly understand. "Listen, dogbreath said he'd probably still be comin' by. I know he's annoyin' and you'd just as soon purify his stupid ass as anything else, but try and hold back. Gods only know why, but that she-wolf he was always goin' on about agreed to mate him and she seems like a decent enough bitch. Knowin' Kouga, he'll have her belly full of pups before winter comes and it'd be a shame to leave them without their father."

Smiling happily, Kaede chuckled. "Refraining from releasing my arrow does not mean I can not draw it upon my bow."

Inuyasha gave a crooked grin. "Damn straight." Sobering quickly, the hanyou looked from Kaede to where he knew Sesshomaru was waiting. "I guess I better get goin'. The bastard says we gotta be back at the Western Palace by tomorrow, but I don't see how that's gettin' done." Looking back down the hill, Inuyasha asked, "You want me to walk ya back?"

"No, although I thank ye for the offer." Taking Inuyasha's hands within her own, Kaede squeezed slightly. "As annoying as Prince Kouga may be, I will always be thankful that he brought ye into my life, Inuyasha. Ye have a good and fair heart, far better than the world deserves from ye. Go to the West and be proud of who and what ye are for ye are far better than either human or youkai."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha felt his chest fill before that fullness became painful with the knowledge that he was about to walk away from a level of acceptance and love that he doubted would ever be offered to him again. Jerking forward, Inuyasha clasped the sides of Kaede's head within his hands and pressed his lips to her graying hair. Lips barely parted, he choked out a, "T-take care ya old wench," before turning and quickly walking toward the forest edge, his head down, bangs covering glistening amber eyes.

Approaching Sesshomaru, Inuyasha didn't stop his movements and instead kept walking away, a quick, "Are you comin'?" echoing from his lips as his clawed feet continued taking him deeper into the surrounding forest.

Quietly following, Sesshomaru allowed his hanyou to continue forward, their pace hurried but not taxing as they silently made their way through the increasingly dense foliage.

One foot in front of the other, Inuyasha battled his emotions. Having spent much of his life in the human village he'd just left, the hanyou felt a deep loss. Kaede's hut was the closest thing he'd had to a home since the death of his human mother, and just like everything else that was human; its time with him had seemed short. Kaede would soon pass on from this world and he'd done everything he could to make that easier for her. He'd done all he could and this was simply the way the world worked. The absolutely shitty way the world worked.

Frustrated by his own perceived weakness, Inuyasha abruptly stopped while taking in a deep and cleansing breath. "Gods fuckin' damn-it."

Coming up beside his hanyou, Sesshomaru waited for a moment, his ears easily catching the muttered oath. Unable to fully understand why leaving such an obviously toxic place was so difficult for Inuyasha, Sesshomaru could think of nothing to say that would give aid. Consequently, the InuYoukai simply stood and waited.

With a determined shake of his head, Inuyasha's ears perked up as he turned to look at his intended mate. "We've got a little over a day to get back to your home. Ya kept your word and let me say goodbye to Kaede, so there ain't no reason to linger here. I still don't see how we're gonna make it back in time, but I guess that's on you now."

Without warning, Inuyasha felt mokomoko wrap around his body, pulling him in close and tight. "Hey! What the fuck – "

"Unless you wish to fall, I suggest you cease this useless struggling."

" _Fall?_ Why the hell would I fall . . . oh, shit." Looking down, Inuyasha could see that they were far above the tops of the tallest trees, the green canopy looking like rolling hills as he and Sesshomaru floated above them. "Holy fuck."

Now at the right height, Sesshomaru's gathered Ki-cloud began speeding forward, the land below whizzing by at a dizzying pace.

Feeling his stomach roll, Inuyasha stopped all efforts to escape the fluffy monstrosity currently wrapped around his body. Instead, the hanyou's clawed hands dug into the silky fabric of Sesshomaru's clothes. "How in the hell are you doin' this?"

"I have many ways of travel, Inuyasha. I believed this to be the least stressful for you."

Amber eyes wide, Inuyasha couldn't believe flying this high up in the air was the least stressful option Sesshomaru could think of, but given how little he knew, the hanyou thought he'd take the bastard's word for it, at least for now.

Having Inuyasha this close, his hanyou's scent that more potent, Sesshomaru felt his youkai ease. That is, until he felt his intended mate shiver. Raising a hand up, Sesshomaru gently raked his fingers across Inuyasha's cheek. "You are cold?"

Involuntarily, Inuyasha felt another chill rack his body. Soon his teeth were going to start chattering. Who knew it was this fucking cold in the sky. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Sesshomaru was beginning to wonder why he even bothered asking Inuyasha how he was. It seemed no matter what the question regarding his hanyou's health, Inuyasha would always answer with a variant of that phrase. Shifting Inuyasha up and closer to his body, Sesshomaru wrapped more of mokomoko around his shivering hanyou while pushing Inuyasha's face into the crook of his neck. Soon enough, his intended mate's body stilled.

Newly positioned as he was, Inuyasha was constantly assaulted by Sesshomaru's heady scent and felt his cheeks burn with the embarrassing pleasure it brought him. Thankfully, as it was, Sesshomaru was unable to see the blush lighting his skin. But within seconds, Inuyasha's embarrassed blush had turned into a deep sigh of contentment as mokomoko moved to shelter more of his body. Between Sesshomaru's heated skin and the heavy fluff, the surrounding cold was but a distant memory.

Knowing Inuyasha had not slept well the previous night, Sesshomaru leaned over and murmured into a soft puppydog ear, "Rest. Even in this form, it will be several hours until we reach the Western Palace."

Inuyasha didn't want to succumb to his exhaustion, but between last night and the emotional drain saying goodbye to Kaede had taken on him, his body was in need and with the feel of warmth and safety surrounding him, the hanyou couldn't fight the pull of sleep. Far sooner than Inuyasha would have wanted, his eyelids fell closed and his breath evened as sleep claimed his body and mind.

Holding his sleeping submissive mate, Sesshomaru experienced that elusive yet growing sense of peace that only Inuyasha seemed capable of inspiring within him. Sensing no enemies nearby, the Heir of the West moved ever forward through the sky. Though none bore witness, Sesshomaru's normally icy mask was gone, replaced by a softness that would have frightened all within the Western Palace.

::::::::::

"We are almost to the Western Palace."

Feeling the tickle of Sesshomaru's warm breath upon his ear, Inuyasha came awake with an alarming slowness. Not since he was a pup lying in his mother's arms could he remember sleeping this much or this deeply. Did he truly feel that safe with Sesshomaru? He shouldn't, at least, not yet. But his logical side didn't seem to be in agreement with his instincts and that was all kinds of wrong.

Head lifting, Inuyasha stared up to Sesshomaru's face, the InuYoukai's head held high and looking forward, offering the hanyou only a glimpse of his lower jaw and magenta striped cheek. Although Sesshomaru had woken him, his dominant didn't seem inclined to loosen his hold. "You gonna let me go so I can see where I'm gonna live?"

Still high in the sky, Sesshomaru had no general compunction to release his hold but understood his submissive's desire to see where he would be spending the majority of the rest of his long years. Loosening mokomoko just enough to allow his hanyou to wiggle his body around, Sesshomaru felt the heat of desire spike through his flesh as Inuyasha's limbs moved against him.

Grunting, Inuyasha threw a look of irritation the InuYoukai's way before letting his amber eyes wander to the surrounding landscape. All around he was surrounded by oceans of blue sky and forests of green, but far in the distance, where the mountains began rising from the plane of the earth, he could see several structures. Still a good distance away, the palace and surrounding village looked like tiny pinpoints of color splashed across a brown and green backdrop. "Is that it?"

"Yes. That is the Western Palace, originally built by my sire, the current Lord of the West, Inu no Taisho."

In his mind, Inuyasha knew the palace had to be fairly large for him to be able to see it at all at this distance. Being so close, the hanyou felt panic trying to grip his soul, his stomach dropping like a leaden weight. While traveling to Kaede's village, he'd managed to keep his mind off the very real fact that he was going to be living in a den of strong, pureblooded youkai. In that moment, Inuyasha wondered if Sesshomaru had any idea just how much he was trusting him. In the hanyou's mind, he was about to step into a life and death situation with only the promise of one InuYoukai that he would not be harmed – that his life was now valuable.

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha whispered, "Fuck, it looks big."

Missing the uncertainty lacing that statement, Sesshomaru merely agreed. "As it should be."

The closer they came, the larger the place looked – its structures becoming more defined and looming ever larger. Captivated as he was, Inuyasha didn't immediately notice a figure coming toward them. Or, more precisely, flying toward them.

Stiffening within Sesshomaru's embrace, Inuyasha felt their speed slow as what he now realized were two youkai came to a stop in front of them, standing upon nothing but air. Sitting astride a large cat-like youkai with flaming feet, sat a beautiful female youkai. Hair pulled back tight and flowing behind her, the female carried the largest looking weapon Inuyasha thought he'd ever seen.

"Lady Sango, I had thought we might meet you earlier," Sesshomaru stated, his voice little more than its usual icy tone.

Head tilted down in respect, Sango smiled. "Indeed, it was my wish to come looking for you earlier, but Lord Inu no Taisho bid me wait longer. He advised you would return by this morning's light." Head turning to the horizon, Sango looked thoughtful. "My apology as it is slightly past first light. Kirara and I should have been out earlier."

"It is of little importance."

Silently listening to the back and forth of a conversation Inuyasha felt no need to interject himself into; the hanyou took in the female youkai before him. This was the one that crazy monk, Miroku seemed to be infatuated with. Seeing the confident air Sango gave off, Inuyasha could only silently snicker at the monk's choice. No wonder Miroku was still chasing his tail, because Sango didn't seem like the kind of youkai that would swoon at a little lecherous attention.

Ever observant, Inuyasha watched Sango's hardened features soften when she looked at him and didn't know if he should feel insulted or relieved. Either way, it was with his normally brash tone that he asked, "What the fuck you lookin' at?"

Large brown eyes going wide, Sango's mouth split into a wide and easy grin. "So, for once the monk wasn't exaggerating." Bowing even lower, Sango's voice was soft with amusement. "Forgive me. We have all been hoping for so long that Prince Sesshomaru would find his mate. I'm afraid my curiosity got the better of my manners. I did not mean to stare."

Irritated that a youkai of such importance to the West was seeing him so weak, wrapped like a small child within Sesshomaru's fluffy thing, Inuyasha huffed. "-Keh, it ain't nothin'." Tilting his head back towards the InuYoukai, Inuyasha added, "As soon as we get on the ground, Mr. Overprotective here can let me go and we can meet properly."

Smiling even wider, Sango gave a quiet laugh, the overgrown cat she was riding seemingly amused as well. Looking back to the stoic face of her prince, Sango's laughter quieted into near silence. "If it would please you, Prince Sesshomaru, Kirara and I will escort you into the palace proper."

"You may do as you wish."

Evidently that was answer enough for Sango because she and Kirara stayed just a slight distance behind them as the Prince of the West guided them further toward the palace, skimming just over the edges of walls and roofs until Inuyasha's feet settled upon firm ground.

Heart hammering in his chest, Inuyasha looked around the large courtyard they'd settled within, his eyes and mind immediately looking for escape routes and tragically finding very few options. Some of the trees surrounding the edge of the large expanse were tall enough that he thought he could use them to scale the enormous stonewall surrounding them, but when so many youkai had the power of flight, he thought his chances of outrunning an enemy were slim.

Feeling his hanyou's pulse pounding, Sesshomaru quickly took note of the fine sheen of perspiration lining Inuyasha's neck. Although he felt at home here, it was obvious his future mate did not. In fact, Inuyasha looked to be preparing himself for an attack. Attention pulled from his submissive, Sesshomaru's gaze traveled up and across the expanse of green as his father entered the courtyard.

Breath hitching, Inuyasha's eyes went wide, his body even more tensed to flee. Although the being coming toward him had his youkai suppressed, it was obvious this InuYoukai was powerful – damn powerful. Tall and regal, the InuYoukai Inuyasha assumed was Sesshomaru's father had the same silky white hair as his son, only instead of flowing freely down his back, the Lord of the West's hair was pulled up high in a ponytail. Broader and perhaps slightly taller than his son, Inu no Taisho struck a figure that demanded respect . . . and in Inuyasha's case – fear.

But it wasn't only Inu no Taisho who'd entered the courtyard, but a bevy of other powerful youkai flanking and fanning out behind the mighty InuDaiYoukai. Feeling trapped and far too vulnerable, Inuyasha took a single step back, that small movement bringing his body into contact with Sesshomaru's chest.

Sensing the rising panic in his intended mate, Sesshomaru's gaze shot up to his father, twin sets of golden eyes meeting in a shared moment of understanding. Stopping where he was, Inu no Taisho forcefully restrained his body from all movement. He'd waited centuries for this moment and desperately wanted to run forward and take the small InuHanyou in his arms with the joy he felt. What made it even harder to stay where he was, was the idea Miroku had planted in his head, the thought that this could actually be the son of his late brother, Tsuyoshi – lost to them all in a battle with Ryukotsusei. One whiff, just one scent of the half-breed would tell him whether such a thing was true or not.

Eyes sharp and studying, Inu no Taisho took in what he could of the hanyou. Protective as he should be, Sesshomaru's mokomoko was wrapped around most of the boy. From Inuyasha's face, the Lord of the West could see no evidence of striping, but he sported the cottony white hair that Tsuyoshi had been blessed with as well as his more amber colored eyes. Of course, the half-breed was smaller than Inu no Taisho's brother had been, but that could be due to his mixed blood. Curious, the Lord of the West focused in on the top of Inuyasha's head, searching for the puppydog ears Miroku had told him about. Only the sharpness of his eyes allowed him to see the slight movement of the appendages as they were tightly tucked within the strands of his thick hair.

Seeing that his father had stopped, along with the rest of the council members, Sesshomaru leaned down, just enough to whisper, "There is no need for fear, I would not let them harm you."

Squeezing his hands tight, Inuyasha felt the bite of his claws dig into the palms of his hands. Pissed at his own fear, the hanyou fought down the near paralyzing emotion. "-Keh, I don't need you to protect me."

"Regardless, I would rend the flesh from any whom meant you ill."

It wasn't just the words that hit Inuyasha, but the powerful killer youkai flowing off Sesshomaru as he spoke. In that moment, he had little doubt his intended mate would do anything less. "There's . . . it's just, there are a lot of 'em. I didn't expect so many, uh . . . youkai."

"As Sango stated earlier, many have been anticipating the day I would choose a mate. Their curiosity has made them eager."

"Yeah, well they're probably gonna be disappointed when they figure out I'm a half-breed."

"Their opinions mean nothing to this Sesshomaru." Sensing that did little to ease his hanyou, Sesshomaru added, "It is doubtful they are surprised seeing as Miroku arrived three days before us."

Inuyasha had barely let out a grunt of understanding when that very same monk weaseled his way through the crowd, Kitanya following close behind. Seeing familiar and friendly faces, Inuyasha's body relaxed.

Smiling brightly, Miroku strode forward, the clinking of his staff an oddly comforting sound. "Inuyasha, it is good to see you again." Ignoring Sesshomaru all together, Miroku turned his attention to Sango. "And Lady Sango, I see they had the pleasure of your escort as well."

Eyes shifting in Sango's direction, Inuyasha saw the very light flush of crimson dotting her cheeks and inwardly laughed. It seemed there might be hope for the monk after all. Unfortunately, the loud smack that echoed through the courtyard made him second-guess that.

"Lecherous fool! Get that cursed hand off my ass." Huffing, Sango turned to Sesshomaru, Kirara now no larger than a typical housecat. "My prince, if you don't mind, I have other duties to attend."

Sesshomaru nodded his approval and Sango turned to leave, but it seemed as if Kirara had other plans. Easily leaping from her master's arms, the small cat leapt onto Inuyasha's shoulder, purring loudly as it rubbed its now seemingly innocent face against his cheek.

Jumping, Inuyasha muttered a quick, "Fuckin' hell," before reaching up to rub the creature, a happy laugh echoing from deep within his chest.

"Prince Inuyasha, please forgive her."

Pulling the cat from his shoulder, Inuyasha handed the fire cat back to Sango and waved a hand in dismissal. "It ain't nothin'." Peaceful look gone from his face, the hanyou's eyes were hard as he added, "And don't call me prince. Inuyasha will do just fine."

Looking torn, Sango looked from Sesshomaru to the hanyou. "But – "

Sesshomaru interrupted. "Sango, I believe you have other duties to attend. We can discuss my future mate's title at a later time."

Holding Kirara tight within her arms, Sango bowed while offering a firm, "Of course." Giving the monk one last irritated look, the hunter youkai walked off to the side, avoiding the group of youkai councilors gathered at the far end.

Sighing heavily while watching Sango walk away, Miroku lovingly stroked his reddened cheek. "She is quite the female."

Seeing that Miroku seemed lost to his own lecherous thoughts, Kitanya stepped forward, a kind smile stretched across her face as she bowed. "Prince Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, it is a pleasure to see you both again."

Looking Kitanya up and down, Inuyasha subconsciously looked for any sign of mistreatment. On the surface, the bear submissive appeared to be in excellent health. Now wearing a beautiful and costly looking kimono, Kitanya appeared to be anything but a servant. Taking a step forward, Inuyasha huffed when he felt mokomoko constrict around him. Annoyed, he batted a hand at the fluff. "Hey, get this damn fluffy thing off me."

Sensing that Inuyasha's fear had settled into something more manageable, Sesshomaru complied – to a degree. Unwrapping mokomoko from around his hanyou's body, the Prince of the West still kept the edge of his fur pressed against Inuyasha's lower back.

Feeling a fresh wave of warmth press into his cheeks, Inuyasha lowered his head but said nothing about the comforting weight still at his back. Trying his best to ignore his confusing emotions, the hanyou moved forward, his nose twitching as he sniffed Kitanya. "They been treatin' ya okay?"

Smile only widening, Kitanya eagerly bobbed her head up and down. "Lord Inu no Taisho and . . . " smile faltering slightly, the light in Kitanya's brown eyes dimmed only slightly as she continued, "and most of the staff have been very helpful."

Inuyasha's jaw tightened slightly. Truth be told, he would have been more suspicious if Kitanya had claimed otherwise. He may not know a lot about youkai politics but he could easily figure that not everyone would be pleased the prince had finally taken a mate and his hanyou status would only serve to fuel those fires. Whatever was going on, it could wait until later when he and Kitanya were alone. As it was, he was simply pleased she'd been honest. "-Keh, as long as you ain't hurt."

At that, Kitanya shook her head. "No, far from it." Giving a discrete wink, Kitanya's smile turned slightly devious. "Besides, it's nothing I'm unused to. I am more than capable of dealing with such things."

Seeing how kind and accommodating Kitanya seemed with him, it was easy for Inuyasha to forget that, until recently, she'd been the princess of her clan. No doubt Kitanya was a veritable master when it came to the intricacies of royal life.

Pleased by the contemplative eyes Inuyasha showed her, Kitanya felt a wave of fresh pride as she thought that she finally had someone worthy of following. "I have your room ready and have instructed the palace cooks as to your more specific needs, at least, the ones I know of. I have also taken the liberty of choosing some temporary kimono's that might work for you until the tailor can take your measurements."

Blinking once, Inuyasha didn't really know what to say. He'd never even thought about most of that, especially new clothes. The thought of parting with his firerat was almost inconceivable. Opening his mouth, he was about to say just that when a high pitched squeal rent the air. Ears immediately pressing back into his head, Inuyasha cringed. "What the fuck was that?"

Lowering her eyes, Kitanya sighed in exasperation. "That would be – "

"Jaken," Miroku finished, his clawed fingers scratching a particularly itchy patch of his ass.

"Huh? What's a Jaken?" Barely had those words passed through his lips when a small, green, toad-like youkai broke through the crowd, its body tottering forward while tears of what appeared to be joy streamed from his bulbous eyes. "Prince Sesshomaru! You have returned!"

His own eyes wide, Inuyasha stared down at the small creature. "What the hell?"

Turning, Jaken's eyes narrowed down in obvious distaste, his beak-like mouth opening in what Inuyasha was sure was going to be an insult. But instead of words, Jaken spewed forth a horrible wheezed grunt as Sesshomaru's foot came squarely down on the imp's body.

Ignoring his retainer, Sesshomaru reached forward, his clawed fingers wrapping around Inuyasha's arm. "Come, it is time for you to meet my sire."

Not at all sure he was ready for something like that, Inuyasha turned his attention away from the gasping kappa. Standing up straight, he nodded, a quiet, "Yeah . . . okay," slipping from his lips.

Stepping off Jaken, Sesshomaru wrapped mokomoko around Inuyasha's shoulders, ignoring his hanyou's protests. The action wasn't only for his submissive mate's ease, but also a sign of claiming. He had chosen Inuyasha as his mate and the Prince of the West intended to make it very clear to all those within the high council of the West that to disrespect Inuyasha was to disrespect their prince.

Walking forward, the easy smile gracing Inu no Taisho's face did little to actually ease Inuyasha's trepidation. He'd seen smiles just as genuine right before deadly claws were trying to rip his heart out. Forcing his ears up, the hanyou kept all of his senses sharp, his muscles poised to try and defend himself despite the likely futility of such an act.

Sharing a knowing look with Kitanya, Miroku came up beside Inuyasha. Although the monk said nothing, he thought to offer whatever support his presence might have.

Intended mate by his side, Sesshomaru stopped, keeping a larger distance than he normally would have between he and his father. Inclining his head, Sesshomaru indicated his respect. "Sire, you are looking well."

Forcing his eyes from Inuyasha, Inu no Taisho scoffed. "It's only been a few days, my son. Did you expect less from the Lord of the West?"

"No." Without looking to his hanyou, Sesshomaru stated, "I present to the Lord of the West, this Sesshomaru's chosen submissive mate, Inuyasha."

Amber eyes glinting like steel, Inuyasha stared up at the towering figure before him. Clad in armor, two swords at his side, Inu no Taisho was impressive. Unsure if he was supposed to say anything or not, Inuyasha remained silent, a quick nod of his head the only response he offered.

Inhaling deeply, Inu no Taisho tried scenting the hanyou, but with Sesshomaru so close, he couldn't quite discern whether or not this was truly his brother's child. "I am Inu no Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands and sire of Prince Sesshomaru. I bid you welcome to our lands and hope that you will soon consider this your home, Inuyasha."

Hearing such polite and structured words made Inuyasha cringe for all new reasons. In this type of formal situation, he had no idea how to react or what to say and Sesshomaru didn't seem to be helping out at all. "I . . . " reaching a clawed hand up, Inuyasha scratched behind an ear. "I'm not real sure what I'm supposed to say. I guess it's nice to meet ya." In the end, go for honesty.

Smile broadening, Inu no Taisho let out a chuckle while several of the council members behind him whispered their varying opinions. "Well, I don't suppose there is an exact manual on what you are supposed to respond with. But, if it is any consequence, I am very pleased to meet you as well. More pleased than you realize."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha wondered if Inu no Taisho knew just how creepy that sounded. "Uh, okay."

Ignoring the hanyou's unease, the Lord of the West continued, "I hope we will have an opportunity to speak privately later, I – "

Growling low, Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha closer to his side. "Inuyasha will not be outside my presence."

Eyes rolling, Inuyasha threw an elbow at Sesshomaru's gut, grunting when the strike reverberated up his arm and did little more than earn a glance from the InuYoukai. "Fuck, what the hell are you made of anyway?" Sighing, Inuyasha glanced between Sesshomaru and Inu no Taisho. "We still got a few things to hash out. Mr. Possessive here still don't understand that I can damn well take care of myself."

Ignoring the general intake of breath from the youkai surrounding Inu no Taisho, Inuyasha smiled when he heard both Miroku and the Lord of the West burst out laughing. In fact, there were a few of those stuffy council members that seemed to be failing at holding in their own humor.

More pleased than he could say at the hanyou's response, Inu no Taisho felt little sympathy for the icy mask his son continued wearing. "Indeed, Miroku has regaled me regarding your battle with the bear youkai, Jakotem. To have defeated such a vile dominant and earn the loyalty of one such as Lady Kitanya is quite the feat."

"-Keh, that fight with Jakotem wasn't nothin'. I've had to fight way tougher than that."

Sobering slightly, Inu no Taisho felt a wash of regret burst through his soul. He had yet to discern whether or not Inuyasha was his nephew, but regardless, he was an InuHanyou and had the Lord of the West known about Inuyasha's existence, he would have brought him to the Western Palace long ago. "Be that as it may, from what I hear, your actions were honorable where Jakotem's were not."

Inuyasha gave a glance at Kitanya before saying, "Well, it was what it was and now Kitanya seems determined to be my servant. I can't say I understand why, but since she ain't goin' nowhere, it's my job to keep her safe. She says you've treated her well while I was gone so for that you've got my thanks."

"Lady Kitanya has been nothing but a pleasure and I can more than see the reasons behind her choices. Lord Bellial will most likely be smarting from loosing such a treasure." Grin turning into something more malicious, Inu no Taisho added, "I can not wait until I have the pleasure of seeing the Lord of the East once more. No doubt I will be sure to bring up his loss for centuries to come."

Inuyasha wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the Lord of the West's eyes turn a slight shade of crimson before shimmering gold once more. Pressing just a little closer to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha wasn't sure exactly what to make of the Lord of the West. On the surface, he seemed nice enough, but it would certainly take more than one casual meeting for him to find comfort in the InuDaiYoukai's presence.

Shaking his head of such thoughts, Inu no Taisho suddenly clapped his hands together, his genial smile back upon his face. "Come, let's get the official introductions out of the way so that my son may have you back all to himself."

In answer, Inuyasha felt mokomoko tighten around his shoulders ever so slightly as he was led forward. For the next few minutes, Inuyasha was introduced to several upper level youkai. To a fault, all bowed before him, each polite and several completely unreadable. Having nothing to say, Inuyasha simply nodded in response to each introduction, his mind cataloguing every scent, twitch, and eye movement. The very fact that most of them kept their personal opinions and actions so in check made him all the more wary.

By the time he was done, Inuyasha felt a type of exhaustion his body was unused to, for it was not physical but mental. The battle he'd just endured was not hand-to-hand combat, but something infinitely more sinister where every look, gesture and word was scrutinized and thought over.

Once he'd personally met all of them, Inu no Taisho dismissed the surrounding youkai. Throughout it all, he'd been desperately trying to get close enough to the hanyou to scent him directly, but Sesshomaru had not budged from Inuyasha's side. Desperate and more than a little impatient, Inu no Taisho had no choice but to ask his son for permission to get closer. "Sesshomaru, I've no interest in challenging you, but as Lord of the West, it is my duty to protect both you and your mate. With you so near Inuyasha, it is impossible for me to discern his individual scent."

Sesshomaru growled low. "You suggest I am incapable of protecting what is mine?"

"No, my son. But the facts are that not only is Inuyasha your intended submissive, but he is also a half-breed. The very fact that you have taken a mate will incite those with ill intent, but they will use his mixed heritage to whatever advantage they can. Youkai of that mindset have no scruples or honor. Would it not be wise to offer as much protection possible in such a case?"

Mind contemplative, Sesshomaru battled a private war between his rational mind and youkai. What his father said made sense and yet he was reluctant to have another powerful dominant near his claimed submissive while he was specifically asked to back away.

Seeing his son's private war, Inu no Taisho offered, "I only need you to be downwind, there is no need for you to leave completely."

With that last little bit of assurance, Sesshomaru nodded before releasing mokomoko. "Inuyasha, go to my father. I shall not be far."

Somehow, Inuyasha thought if the Lord of the West wanted him dead, it didn't really matter how close Sesshomaru was. Pushing down his fear, Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath and strode forward. "How close do ya need me?"

Knowing the hanyou had to be fearful, Inu no Taisho felt pride at Inuyasha's boldness. Afraid or not, he'd shown only confidence. Without answering, the InuDaiYoukai closed the small gap between them. Keeping his hands clasped unthreateningly before him, Inu no Taisho leaned that extra bit further, inhaling deeply. Although Sesshomaru's scent still clung to the hanyou heavily, it was now possible to discern Inuyasha's unique flavor.

On the second breath, Inu no Taisho confirmed what his youkai was now screaming in his head. Faint as it was, buried deep below layers of Sesshomaru's powerful aura and Inuyasha's own human side lay what he'd hoped for – Tsuyoshi. Fighting the instant tears forming in his eyes, Inu no Taisho took a moment to savor a scent he'd thought forever lost to him; the scent of his kin, of his long dead brother.

Forcing his body back, Inu no Taisho hid the emotion from his face, but couldn't quite keep that longing he felt for his brother from his eyes. Silent, he stared down at the small, confused looking InuHanyou and thought back to Tsuyoshi's final days.

Much like Sesshomaru, Tsuyoshi had been a youkai with a wandering soul. Never content to stay within the heart of the West, Tsuyoshi had wandered the land, at times, disappearing for years. Due to his brother's penchant for human compassion, many of the Inu race felt little need or desire to have the oddly behaved InuYoukai close at hand. And so, Tsuyoshi was left to his own musings, many forgetful of Inu no Taisho's brother's true power. Sometimes the Lord of the West himself wondered if his brother actually knew his own strength. Unusually gentle for a youkai, Tsuyoshi had been an advocate for peace when many preached war.

And yet, Inu no Taisho had loved his brother dearly. The news of his death at the hands of Ryukotsusei was more than devastating. Gone for nearly seven years, Tsuyoshi had written him that he was on his way back to the Western Palace. His brother's letter had indicated Tsuyoshi had something important he wanted to discuss with him but what that something was, Inu no Taisho had never learned. Now, looking down into shimmering amber orbs that were a reflection of his long lost brother, the Lord of the West thought the InuHanyou standing before him might just have been what was so important – important enough for his brother to come back to a place he found oppressive and taxing. Fate, it seemed, was a fickle bitch.

Silent for far too long, Inu no Taisho noted the twitching ears upon Inuyasha's head as well as the increasingly anxious youkai energy pouring off Sesshomaru. Although he longed to tell his son and nephew what he had just confirmed, the Lord of the West knew this was not the time or the place. Many of his own council had disliked Tsuyoshi and found his brother's words and ideas dangerous. To out Inuyasha's heritage here with so many prying ears and eyes would be foolish.

With those thoughts in mind, Inu no Taisho smiled. "Forgive me. I suppose the pleasure of finally meeting the one Sesshomaru has chosen to mate has clouded my manners." Turning, the Lord of the West saw his son already walking toward Inuyasha, mokomoko once more wrapping around the hanyou's shoulders. In truth, Inu no Taisho was pleased with the amount of possessiveness his son was showing. Sesshomaru's seemingly cold nature and remorseless actions had long ago instilled a rather healthy fear of the Prince of the West within almost every high-ranking youkai within the Western Lands.

"I trust you are now satisfied."

Looking to Sesshomaru, Inu no Taisho gave a firm nod. "Yes, although you have not made it easy to discern his unique scent."

"Gods damn-it, Sesshomaru. What the fuck have you been doin' to me these past few days?"

Smiling, Inu no Taisho's grin widened at the hanyou's righteous indignation, but what truly made his heart soar with joy was how Inuyasha did not seem to fear Sesshomaru. No one spoke to his son that way and expected not to shed at least a little blood and yet here was this young half-breed, obviously not afraid of telling Sesshomaru exactly how he felt about being scent marked.

To Inuyasha's continued irritation, Sesshomaru's response was to tighten mokomoko's hold. "There is nothing unusual about what I have done. Any dominant would want to mark his submissive in such a way." Twirling Inuyasha so that he was now forced to look up into Sesshomaru's cold, golden eyes, the Prince of the West never flinched when he said, "You belong to this Sesshomaru, of that, there can be no question."

Mouth opening, Inuyasha slammed it shut as indignation swam through his soul. Opening it once more, he abruptly shut it when he heard the deep belly laugh of the Lord of the West. Turning his head, Inuyasha's ears perked up at the sound.

Laughter dying into soft chuckles, Inu no Taisho was near giddy with the latest developments within his Lands. Inuyasha was just what his son needed. No, the hanyou was just what the West needed. Sesshomaru had picked well and knowing his son as he did, perhaps that shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did. "You'll have to forgive him, Inuyasha. Sesshomaru has always been rather protective of his things."

Teeth gritted, Inuyasha was getting damn sick of constantly being wrapped up in Sesshomaru's fluff. In his heart, the hanyou wanted to shout that he wasn't a _thing_. Living creatures weren't objects to be owned and yet he'd had similar discussions already with his intended mate that seemed circular and beyond resolution. Having not grown up in youkai society, Inuyasha found it difficult to comprehend their way of looking at things. And just like the old saying went, actions often spoke louder than words. So, if Sesshomaru thought he was going to tell him what to do and when to do it, the fucker was going to have another thing coming.

Head looking off to the side, Inuyasha muttered a quiet, "Whatever, just put me down, bastard."

Complying, Sesshomaru lowered Inuyasha's feet back to the ground but kept close. "If that is all, father, I would like to get my intended mate settled." Considering how long ago it had been since Inuyasha had eaten, he also wanted to get his hanyou fed. Wisely, the Prince of the West did not voice that concern.

"Of course." Turning to Kitanya, Inu no Taisho nodded his head. "I've left Inuyasha's room preparations up to the Lady Kitanya. Of course, his room is located beside your own."

Seeing that as her obvious cue, Kitanya stepped forward and bowed. "If you'd follow me."

Inuyasha didn't like the formal way the bear submissive was acting and wanted to call her out on it, but before he got the chance, Kitanya reached back and grabbed his hand, her lips turning up into a bright smile. "Sorry, I know you hate the formal stuff, but I had to do it in front of those stuffy council members." Now out of their vision and hearing, Kitanya could act in the way she knew both she and Inuyasha would prefer. "I can't wait to show you what I've done to your room!"

Letting Kitanya pull him forward, Inuyasha finally gained a measure of distance from Sesshomaru. Looking back, he found it odd how comfortable the iceprick seemed to be with Kitanya when Sesshomaru seemed ready to murder damn near anybody else who touched him. Well, except for Kaede. He'd think it was a sexist kind of thing except for how tense he'd seemed when Sango had come closer.

With a harsher tug, Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kitanya, letting his eyes wander around the palace halls he was being dragged through. Although things were speeding by, it was hard to miss the exquisite craftsmanship of the surrounding architecture. Simple yet beautiful, every object or structure his eyes lit upon seemed beyond perfection. Eyes drifting down, Inuyasha focused his vision on his dirty, clawed toes and felt his heart sink with the knowledge that he was probably the most imperfect part of the Western Palace.

With his head down, Inuyasha focused more on the sounds filtering in through his large ears and noted a fourth set of footsteps nearby. Turning his head slightly, he soon met the bulbous eyes of Jaken, the disgusted look on the irritating little kappa's orbs clearly stating that his thoughts were running similar to Inuyasha's own.

Paying as little attention as he was, Inuyasha almost ran into Kitanya's back when the bear submissive stopped in front of a rather unassuming screen door. Without fanfare, Kitanya reached forward and slid the door open. "I hope everything is to your liking."

Stepping inside, Inuyasha's mouth opened as he inhaled a deep breath before a genuine smile pulled at his lips. Given what he'd seen, he'd been worried his room would make him feel out of place and as if he didn't belong. But far from the uncomfortable perfection he'd seen in the halls, his room was made to be lived in. With muted colors and soft furs layered upon the floor, there was nothing in his room that seemed pretentious. There was nothing that he was afraid to dirty with his touch. Beautiful, clean, and practical – that was the room Kitanya had created for him.

Large brown eyes drifting from Inuyasha to Sesshomaru, Kitanya hoped she hadn't completely missed the mark. She'd practically had to go to war with the head of the household to get what she thought the hanyou needed. Although the palace was immaculately beautiful, Inuyasha was a creature of nature. Having grown up in an unstructured and free environment, he would have felt suffocated within the pristine, opulent atmosphere the other youkai servant had been trying to shove down their throat.

Through it all, Kitanya had thought this would suite Inuyasha much better and yet she'd been concerned that Prince Sesshomaru would see her choices as trying to belittle his chosen mate. As the bearer of the future heir of the West, many would see Kitanya's choices as not showing the proper respect.

Clearing her throat, Kitanya fiddled with the edge of her obi. "Well? What do you think?"

Instead of answering, Inuyasha walked to one of the fur's resting upon the floor, his clawed hand easing through the soft strands. "It's . . . it's good." Turning, Inuyasha nodded his head. "As far as I'm concerned, it's the best damn room in the whole place."

Cheeks flushed crimson with pride, Kitanya smiled brightly at the compliment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sesshomaru move further into the room, his eyes raking over everything before moving to the balcony. Heart beating within her chest, Kitanya only hoped the prince would understand.

Taking in the room, Sesshomaru did understand. He'd never been one to care much for formality and found his intended mate's quarters adequate. Hearing that Inuyasha liked them was enough for him. What Sesshomaru cared about more, was the safety of the place. Both he and his father's chambers were located on the western edge of the palace, the outer walls of this part of the palace facing a sheer cliff that dove deep down into the turbulent waters of the Elspartin Sea. By design, this was the most difficult part of the palace to access, especially from the outside.

Standing upon the balcony, Sesshomaru looked down at the crashing waves below. His own room was to one side, a sliding door the only barrier between the two. To the opposite side, there was only the small room where Kitanya would stay and beyond that was another sheer cliff face. The room was most likely the most secure in the entire palace and would prove a good place for his submissive mate and any offspring they might create together.

Seeing the expectant look on Kitanya's face as she stared at Sesshomaru's back, Inuyasha huffed before stuffing his hands into the sleeves of his firerat. "Don't mind him, he's just bein' his normal stoic asshole of a self."

Turning from the view of the sea, Sesshomaru looked to Kitanya. "The room is adequate. It will meet Inuyasha's needs well. I am assuming you have informed the cooking staff of the hanyou's dietary requirements."

"Of course."

"It has been well over a day since he has eaten."

Perking up, Kitanya bowed before scurrying away. "I will fetch something immediately."

Before he could comment, Kitanya was gone. Hands squeezing down into tight fists, Inuyasha turned on Sesshomaru. "You don't gotta talk to her like that."

"I do not know what you mean."

"No, of course you don't." Teeth grinding, Inuyasha pulled in a deep breath. "I don't care what anybody says, I'll never think of Kitanya as my servant, but regardless, sayin' a please and thank you wouldn't hurt. And while we're at it, if I'm hungry, I'll damn well get my own food."

Dismissing such notions, Sesshomaru once more turned his attention outside, his golden gaze scanning the horizon. "Your opinion is noted but within the palace, it is invalid. Those whom serve here are fortunate to have such positions. They do not require praise." At the quiet huff of irritation, Sesshomaru turned his head ever so slightly. "Clearly, you have spent far too much time in the company of humans of low social standing."

Mouth slamming shut with anger, Inuyasha felt the prick of one of his canines as it sliced through his lower lip. "It was my _human_ mother that taught me those _opinions_ and she was a princess so obviously you don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about."

Interest piqued, Sesshomaru turned his attention fully upon his intended mate. Over the past few days, he'd heard Inuyasha speak very little regarding his past and even less about his human mother. At first, he'd thought the lack of information had been because his hanyou held animosity towards this woman, but the tone Inuyasha had just spoken with did not support that idea. In fact, Sesshomaru was fairly certain his hanyou's feelings toward his human mother were anything but hateful. "Your mother had status in the human world then?"

Bristling, Inuyasha's body went stiff with the pain of memory. "She did, until they found out she was pregnant with an illegitimate half-breed child."

"A rather common human reaction."

Inuyasha didn't know why, but he felt the need to defend humanity. "-Keh, it ain't like youkai are much better in that regard."

Pausing to contemplate his hanyou's words, Sesshomaru finally conceded that Inuyasha was right. "I can not argue that point."

Crossing his arms, Inuyasha shifted his weight to his heels, his body relaxing until he heard Sesshomaru ask, "You have not spoken of your human mother before. I assume she passed some years ago."

"We ain't talkin' about her. Ya can ask me damn near anything else, but not about her."

Again, had it not been for the obvious pain lacing his hanyou's words and eyes, he would have thought Inuyasha did not wish to speak of it due to some type of animosity. Instead, the Prince of the West got the distinct impression Inuyasha's pain was due to the grief of loss. For the briefest of moments, he wondered what it would be like to actually like ones mother. Although Sesshomaru's own mother was beautiful, powerful, and well respected, she was not someone he would miss should death come calling.

Standing within the chilling silence, Inuyasha was grateful when he heard Kitanya's voice on the other side of his door asking for permission to enter. Without a second thought, he moved to the door, sliding it open with relief.

With a quick bow, Kitanya shuffled in, a myriad of cooked meats and fresh bread laden upon a rather large plate. "I wasn't sure if you had a preference of meat so I retrieved several kinds."

Having been close to starvation more times than Inuyasha cared to recount, he'd found he could eat just about anything, but would be lying if he didn't admit to loving rabbit the most. Instead of looking at Kitanya, Inuyasha pointedly stared at Sesshomaru as he said, "Thanks. I appreciate you doin' that."

Blushing, Kitanya bowed again. "It was my pleasure."

Apathetically watching the display before him, Sesshomaru decided his hanyou would learn soon enough that such pleasantries were wasted on most of the servants within the Western Palace. Even so, he could concede that, since Kitanya was not of the palace, she might respond differently to such things.

Having seen to his intended mate's protection and nutrition, Sesshomaru felt at ease enough to leave his hanyou so that he could speak to his father alone. "This Sesshomaru needs to speak with the Lord of the West." Moving closer, Sesshomaru's fingers wrapped around Inuyasha's chin, lifting his hanyou's eyes up to meet his own. "You will not leave this room until I return."

Instantly angered, Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort only to have Sesshomaru interrupt his ensuing tirade. "Enemies are to be found even within these walls. You are both a half-breed and a submissive and most will see you as a weak target. Should you be attacked, I have little doubt you would be the victor, but such an incident would cause upheaval and possibly further retaliation. Soon they will understand that to attack you would be futile and then all will be safer. But such revelations take time."

"That's stupid. They gotta know what you'd do if they killed me."

Lips pulled up, Sesshomaru gave a rare and totally frightening smile. "Indeed. Not only would I slaughter them, but all their seed." Cruel smile fading back into his normal, emotionless mask, Sesshomaru went on to explain. "I have been of mating age for several centuries and many believed I would never find one worthy. For those whom wish to end my family's hold upon the Western Lands, they will see my choice of mate as a threat to their goals. Our mating and subsequent pups will only strengthen my father's lineage and to end this, many would court certain death."

Pulling his head away, Inuyasha swallowed, the ache of his dry throat a palpable burn. Having spent most of his life trying to be invisible to powerful youkai predators, he now found it ironic that he was being thrust into this visible of a target. "I don't like bein' cooped up."

"The situation shall be remedied in time."

"-Keh, whatever." Looking back to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha tilted his head to the door. "I thought you said you gotta go meet with your dad."

"Do you promise this Sesshomaru that you will not leave this room?"

"Yeah, yeah. I promise . . . at least for now."

Nodding once, Sesshomaru ignored Kitanya as he walked to the door, sliding it open and easily slipping out into the hall. Having been with his prospective dominant almost non-stop these past few days, Inuyasha felt a mix of relief and emptiness as he felt Sesshomaru's powerful youkai and scent drift further away.

"Inuyasha?"

Turning, Inuyasha gave a reassuring smile before his stomach grumbled at the scent of food. "So, you gonna eat with me or what?"

"If you would like."

In answer, Inuyasha plopped down on the ground while pointing to the spot opposite him. Taking the cue, Kitanya sat the plate of food between them. Watching carefully, Kitanya easily noted that Inuyasha reached for the rabbit first, his fingers repeatedly going back to that particular side of the plate. Filing that bit of information away, she took a strip of venison and began munching.

Stomach at least satisfied, Inuyasha reached for a chunk of bread while asking, "So, who do I gotta watch out for?"

Swallowing the piece of meat in her mouth, Kitanya smiled. "You do not trust everyone here?"

"Fuck no and I know you don't either so spill what you've learned."

Wiping her claws on the edge of her kimono, Kitanya nodded. "Although you've not met many of the servants, I would imagine you could guess they are of little physical threat. Many are curious about whom the Prince of the West has chosen. Some are upset regarding your mixed heritage, but I sense little true action to back up such ideas and words."

"I'm used to the name callin' so that ain't nothin'."

Kitanya shook her head. "Words can subvert and at times be more damaging than physical violence. Although I do not believe these servants to be immediate threats, they should not be allowed to speak of you in such terms." Lips curving up into the type of malicious smile that could do battle with Sesshomaru, Kitanya looked positively gleeful. "Do not concern yourself with them. They shall learn soon enough."

Blinking once, Inuyasha stared at the normally docile bear submissive before him and wondered just how deeply he'd misjudged Kitanya's capabilities. Seeing the analyzing gaze, Kitanya's smile softened. "You forget that I was raised within court life. True, the Eastern Bear Tribe is miniscule compared to the Western Palace, but the situations are similar, just on a grander scale."

"Just be careful and don't . . . you know, don't hurt nobody just for speakin' their mind."

Realizing that this was most likely a concept that Inuyasha could not fully comprehend, Kitanya simply inclined her head. "No one shall be seriously harmed." And although she meant those words, the bear submissive also knew she would most likely need to speak of this further with Prince Sesshomaru. The InuYoukai would understand her intentions and most likely give her the kind of permission she desired. No matter what, she would keep Inuyasha safe from every type of harm – be that emotional or physical.

Unaware of Kitanya's inner thoughts, Inuyasha felt satisfied enough with her answer to move on. "So, I'm guessin' some of those stuffy council members ain't real fond of the idea of their prince matin' a half-breed."

Head cocked to the side, Kitanya's brown eyes narrowed with thought. "I have not had enough time to evaluate the elite well. Some have outright protested, yet those are not the ones that concern me."

"Yeah, I know what ya mean. The quiet ones are normally the fuckers ya gotta watch out for."

Kitanya gave a nod of her head. "Prince Sesshomaru has been unmated for several centuries. So long that many believed he never would choose a submissive while others have held out hope that he would eventually settle with one of their own offspring. The very fact that so little have voiced concerns regarding his choice and impending mating is troublesome." Shaking her head, Kitanya finally sighed. "I don't think it's just because your mother was human. I think, for those whom are truly a threat, that it is the simple fact that Prince Sesshomaru has finally decided to take a mate at all."

Leaning back on his hands, Inuyasha yawned widely. "Stupid youkai politics. I don't give a fuck about any of it."

"Youkai crave power above all else and Lord Inu no Taisho and his son, Sesshomaru are two of the most powerful youkai alive. Knowing this, youkai respond by wanting to serve them, join them or destroy them."

No longer hungry, Inuyasha simply felt tired. Standing, he walked to the doors leading to the balcony, the sound of crashing waves drawing his attention. Leaning over the railing, the hanyou looked down and doubted he'd survive that kind of a fall and yet the sheer, violent beauty of the scene was intoxicating. At his shoulder, Inuyasha felt Kitanya. Eyes still staring at the pounding water, Inuyasha felt sadness steal into his chest. "Maybe I shoulda told the bastard to take his offer and shove it up his ass."

Reaching forward, Kitanya placed her hand over Inuyasha's. "Prince Sesshomaru could not have picked a better submissive to make an offer of mating to. The fact that he had the wisdom to choose you is a promising indication that he shall make a capable leader of the West should Lord Inu no Taisho perish. The Western Lands are fortunate to have you by his side."

"I think you've all lost your god's be damned minds."

Lightly laughing, Kitanya squeezed Inuyasha's hand before turning and heading back to her own quarters. Right now, the hanyou needed time alone and she would give it to him.

 _Whew . . . that was a long one. I doubt any of the other chapters will be this lengthy and in fact, most of you will probably think the next one is fairly short but I'll probably leave it as is. Although the next chapter's shorter, it holds a lot of_ _important information. Speaking of important information . . . many of you had already figured it out, but looks like Sesshomaru and Inuyasha are indeed kissin' cousins :-) well, eventually anyways._

 _I forgot in the intro to mention some of the reviews that picked up on Sesshomaru not being particularly fond of spider youkai. Hmmmmm, wonder what all that could be about? Well, you'll all find out eventually. Patience is a virtue (not one that I have in particular, but so I've heard)._

 _Hope you all enjoyed this super long chapter as well as Inuyasha's meeting with Kaede and Inu no Taisho. As always, I appreciate hearing what you lovely people think. Next update should be in one week. Until then I hope you all have a good next few days._

 _lunamist_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hello again everyone. Thanks for all the reviews from the last time. I think most of you liked Inu no Taisho's meeting with Inuyasha and also most of you seem to like papa Inu. It is kind of fun writing his part since there's not necessarily a lot to go on so I can kind of do a bit of what I want with him. Some of you think he seems more like Inuyasha and I'm glad because that's sort of the place I started from. Also, I got a few reviews from people saying they were having trouble getting their reviews to go through. I'm not sure, but in case some of you don't know - if you're a "guest", i.e., don't have an account, your review won't post right away (but you can review :-). I normally try and go through and fast track them at least once a day, but even if I don't do that, they should post within 24 hours. Not sure if that's what the problem is or not, but thought I'd let you know in case that's it._

 _I'm glad so many of you liked the longer chapter, however, this one's fairly short. I thought about adding in the next chapter to it, but this is an important one and I want to keep the focus on what's said here. This chapter will hopefully answer a few more questions for many of you regarding Inuysha's sire (at least in this story) and I hope you like what I did with the Inu no Taisho and Tsuyoshi's relationship as brothers (I kind of twisted some stuff around from the manga). Anywho . . . let me know if it works._

 _Chapter 12 . . ._

Walking through the pristine corridors of the palace, Sesshomaru barely noted when a servant stopped, bowing low as he walked past. Senses alert, the Prince of the West was seeking out his sire. He'd already gone to his father's study and found it surprisingly empty, as were Inu no Taisho's private quarters.

But as he got closer and closer to the Northern Wing of the palace, both the InuDaiYoukai's scent and energy became headier. Moving toward the very end of the hall, Sesshomaru stopped before a door he had not opened in more than a century – the door leading to the rooms his uncle had called home. The rooms Tsuyoshi had occupied.

Curious as to why his father would be here, Sesshomaru opened the sliding door, never once asking for permission. Stepping into the room, the Prince of the West stopped and stared. Before him, Inu no Taisho stood, his back to his son as his eyes stared at the wall in front of him, Tsuyoshi's sword, Tessaiga, sheathed and slumbering.

Aware of his son's presence, Inu no Taisho remained where he was, a clawed hand running up and down Tessaiga's sheath. "Did you know that my father never once offered me the chance to wield Tessaiga? I was the elder brother and yet my sire knew . . . he knew the mighty Sword of the Earth was not meant for my hands, that Tessaiga would reject me as its master. And yet, when Tsuyoshi reached for its hilt, Tessaiga accepted my younger brother." Laughing, Inu no Taisho shook his head. "I hated him that day. I hated my little brother for being able to wield such a powerful weapon – a sword that I thought was rightfully mine."

Remaining where he was, Sesshomaru kept silent. To his knowledge, his father and uncle had always been relatively close, much to the displeasure of the council of elders.

Hand drifting up, Inu no Taisho allowed the barest touch of his skin upon Tessaiga's hilt, the familiar, sharp jolt of rejection no less than expected. "At the time, I was brutal in my anger. I spoke the most heinous words to my little brother – beat and tortured him as I believed he deserved." Sighing deeply, the Lord of the West finally lowered his hand. "It took far too long for me to discover that my anger was sorely misplaced. Tsuyoshi took the brunt of my own shortcomings. How ironic that my actions only proved why I was not worthy to wield the mighty Tessaiga." Turning from the sword, Inu no Taisho's eyes were dull with sadness. "When I realized the dishonor of my actions, I fully expected my brother to hate me and yet he held no such emotion. Many thought Tsuyoshi weak for his forgiveness, never once realizing that forgiving such grave offenses is the epitome of strength." With another shake of his head, the InuDaiYoukai looked down at his hands, his eyes seeing something Sesshomaru could not. "The West will never understand what was lost the day he died."

Eyes traveling past his father, Sesshomaru stared at his uncle's sword. When his grandfather died, he'd given two swords to his eldest son, Inu no Taisho: the Sword of Heaven – Tenseiga and the Sword of Hell – So'unga. The Sword of Earth had gone to his youngest son, Tsuyoshi. To many, it was Tessaiga that was the most powerful and so it was no wonder to Sesshomaru that his father had been angered by the perceived slight.

After his uncle's death, Inu no Taisho had asked Sesshomaru to touch its hilt – it took over three days for his hand to heal after he was rejected. Knowing this, his father had placed Tessaiga within Tsuyoshi's rooms and there it remained, waiting for the day when one it deemed worthy would come.

Sesshomaru knew well that his father deeply mourned the loss of his brother, but he was at a loss as to why he seemed so affected at this moment.

Head lifting, Inu no Taisho stared into his son's eyes, knowing full well that Sesshomaru would not act upon his curiosity. To Sesshomaru's eyes, this was a private matter and demanded nothing less than his respect. Knowing this, the Lord of the West's hands tightened down into fists, his claws nearly piercing his flesh. Within the room his younger brother had once considered his sanctuary, Inu no Taisho could think of no better place to tell his son just whom he'd chosen as a mate. "Miroku told me Inuyasha has no idea whom his sire was."

Taken aback by the change in conversation, Sesshomaru quickly hid his surprise and answered a quick, "That is correct. He believes his sire to have abandoned his pregnant human mother."

At that, Inu no Taisho could only shake his head. "Had I known . . . " taking in a deep breath, the Lord of the West stated, "Tsuyoshi was his father. Inuyasha is your cousin."

This time, Sesshomaru didn't even try and hide his shock. After a moment, he finally demanded, "You will explain this."

"I can only guess as to what happened, but Sesshomaru, you must know me well enough to know that if I'd had any idea of his existence, half-breed or no, I would have never left Inuyasha abandoned as he was."

Sesshomaru's silence was his son's own form of agreement. "When Miroku returned, he told me of his suspicions. No inu would willingly abandon a pup and so it begged the question as to what had happened to Inuyasha's sire. For a half-breed, he is strong so it stands to reason that the one whom sired him would be a powerful InuYoukai. It seems Inuyasha doesn't know his exact age, but given that he is hanyou, it seemed logical that he matured at a faster rate than a pure InuYoukai would. It . . . " Sighing again, Inu no Taisho shook his head. "Right before his death, Tsuyoshi sent me a private message saying he was returning to discuss something important. Unfortunately, he ran across Ryukotsusei before reaching the palace and was subsequently killed."

Mind swirling with his father's words, Sesshomaru frantically thought through what he knew of his hanyou, as well as his uncle. Tsuyoshi had been ostracized for his empathy and acceptance of humans. The thought of his uncle lying with a human woman and producing a pup was not difficult to imagine. But if his father hadn't truly known, then how was he so certain now . . . head snapping up, Sesshomaru's voice held a drop of emotion. "That is why you wanted to scent him without me so close."

"Forgive me, I know it was difficult for you to move away without him being fully claimed and with so many strong dominants nearby." Giving a wry, knowing smile, Inu no Taisho taunted his son, "You have done an admirable job of scent marking him. No one could possibly mistake whom he belongs to."

"I did as I should have."

Inu no Taisho didn't miss the deadly undertones that brief statement held. "Yes, my son, you did. Unfortunately, it made it difficult for me to do what was necessary. However, once you were a short distance away, I was able to separate your scent from Inuyasha's own and . . . gods above . . . it has been so long since I was able to smell my brother. Even diluted and mixed with his humanity, Inuyasha's scent soothes my soul."

At that comment, Sesshomaru's youkai roared within his chest and it took all of his control to contain the beast. His father had not meant that statement in the way one would claim a mate. To the Lord of the West, Inuyasha was kin, nothing more.

At the sudden spike of angered youkai, Inu no Taisho gave an apologetic smile. "My words were careless, I ask for your forgiveness."

"You need never ask such a thing of me, father."

"Regardless, it was foolish."

Silent once more, Sesshomaru contemplated exactly what this information would do. The fact that Inuyasha was his cousin would have no bearing upon their mating. It was common for youkai (especially the elite) to mate within their families. Had Sesshomaru had siblings, he might have chosen one of them as his mate. What this also meant was that Inuyasha had not been abandoned and unwanted as his hanyou assumed. Tsuyoshi would never have willingly left his pup alone. No, Sesshomaru agreed with his father. The most likely scenario was that his uncle had been coming back to the Western Palace to inform the Lord of the West that he'd sired a hanyou pup and most likely, Tsuyoshi would have been ecstatic about the impending birth. Had Ryukotsusei not intervened, Inuyasha's life would have been very different.

Although he'd only had a few days with his hanyou, Sesshomaru was getting the distinct impression that Inuyasha's formative years had been harsh and his intended mate still carried the scars of abandonment deep within his wounded soul. With this in mind, Sesshomaru stated, "Inuyasha should be informed of this."

To his surprise, Inu no Taisho shook his head. "No. At least, not yet."

"I do not understand."

Proud and confident, the Lord of the West's normally broad shoulders slumped with his fatigue. "Sesshomaru, you have always had a wandering spirit and when you were younger, it was even more so. At the time of Tsuyoshi's death, you were well into adulthood, but needed the freedom that was only acquired by being away from the palace. You were learning who you were and I thought it important enough that I allowed you such freedoms. As such, there was much you did not understand." Hand resting on Tenseiga's hilt, Inu no Taisho felt the comforting pulse of his sword as it tried to sooth his frustrated youkai. "Tsuyoshi was not well liked. The foolish disliked him because they thought him useless and weak. The cunning disliked him because they knew he was anything but. It is the later group that was always the concern. Many saw Tsuyoshi's views as dangerous but he was far too strong to actually harm. Having my brother here was a constant source of strife, but where you and I thrive on such turbulence, Tsuyoshi did not and happily left the palace grounds to explore the world." Gripping Tenseiga's hilt, Inu no Taisho's golden eyes were piercing. "Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

Unfortunately, Sesshomaru did. "You are concerned that Inuyasha will become even more of a target if it is know that he is Tsuyoshi's offspring."

"You know I care little for his half-breed status. If even half of the things Miroku has related to me are true, then I find your choice wise. And even if I did not, it would matter little. The choice of mate is yours and whether I approve or not is of little consequence."

Sesshomaru had never thought Inuyasha being a half-breed would be an issue for his father, but still, Inu no Taisho was right. He had made his decision and Inuyasha would be his submissive mate. For the briefest of moments, Sesshomaru's youkai flared at the thought of losing Inuyasha. More and more that had been happening and he was beginning to wonder if it was more than his natural instincts as a dominant. Inuyasha was his and no other would be allowed to take him.

With that piercing thought, Sesshomaru remembered why he'd been searching his father out in the first place. The information he'd just learned only drove his need further home. "I would like to finalize the mating tomorrow."

Golden eyes briefly opening wide, Inu no Taisho questioned, "So soon? Even I can not organize a proper mating ceremony so quickly."

"Such a grand occasion would only make my mate uncomfortable and you know I have no need of ceremony."

Inu no Taisho scratched his chin with thought. "Many will see a lack of opulence as indication that you are ashamed of your chosen mate."

"Their opinions mean nothing to this Sesshomaru."

Eyes narrowing, the Lord of the West contemplated his son before his lips curved up into a smile. "Perhaps my first thought was presumptuous. For those of any mind at all, it is easy to see that your request is not made from a source of shame but eagerness."

Face going cold, Sesshomaru stared. "I do not know what you mean."

At this, Inu no Taisho let out a guttural laugh. "No, of course you don't." Shaking his head, the Lord of the West strode forward, placing a heavy hand on his son's shoulder as he guided them both from the room. "I will make the necessary arrangements." Releasing his hold, Inu no Taisho clapped his hands in front of his chest. "Shall I inform your mother of your impending mating? If I send a missive tonight, she should be able to make it here by tomorrow evening."

"I do not believe that will be necessary," Sesshomaru bristled.

"No? Well, you're probably right. Let's give Inuyasha some time to get settled in before he's made to meet Lady Shayou."

Walking down the corridor, Sesshomaru wondered at his father's own choice of mate. Shayou was both powerful and fierce and together they had produced a formidable pup. And yet, his mother had played only a minimal role in his upbringing and seemed to play an even smaller role when it came to being Lady of the Western Lands. Perhaps that was her appeal – Shayou's utter disinterest in ruling along Inu no Taisho's side.

As a general rule, Sesshomaru cared little for others' opinions. With the exception of his father and some of their more trusted advisors, the Prince of the West held little interest in what other youkai or humans thought of his actions. There was no real reason why he should value Inuyasha's opinions but for some odd reason, he did. He wanted to hear what his hanyou thought - wanted his mate to be proud of him.

At Sesshomaru's thoughtful silence, Inu no Taisho began walking toward the door. "I will inform the council members. Legally, their presence is not necessary, but I would encourage you to include them."

"If that is your wish, I have no complaint." Following his father out into the hall, Sesshomaru's mind ran through traditional mating ceremonies only to come to a full-blown stop when he reached the usual ending of such events. "They may be present for the ceremony, but I will not consummate my mating with Inuyasha before their eyes."

Halting, Inu no Taisho turned to look at his son. Mating among youkai nobility was normally done within both view and earshot of an audience. The Lord of the West had officially consummated his own mating while those of his own father's court dined on the finest meats of the land. All those present had seen his mate take him into her body as well as the claiming bite he'd placed deep within Shayou's flesh. Glancing in his son's direction, Inu no Taisho was confused by Sesshomaru's request and questioned, "You have rutted in public before?"

"I have no issue with it, but Inuyasha has never been taken before and the hanyou suffers from the human ailment known as modesty. I believe the actual act of mating shall be stressful enough upon his body. I've no desire to break his spirit by forcing him to engage in something he would undoubtedly find shameful."

With a deep frown, Inu no Taisho stared at the floor, his mind contemplating Sesshomaru's words. "I've no wish to hurt him either, but public mating is more than simply tradition, it is confirmation of a complete and total mating. Should you choose to do this in private, I am afraid it will give more ammunition to those whom seek to sow the seeds of dissention."

Well aware that what his father said was true, Sesshomaru still wasn't willing to put Inuyasha through such an event, at least, that's how he was justifying it to himself. The fact that the thought of any seeing his hanyou naked made his youkai rage with unadulterated anger was neatly pushed aside. "Regardless, I will not allow it to happen."

"Sesshomaru," Inu no Taisho sighed, "allow me to think on the matter. There has to be a compromise and I will find it."

Trusting his father, Sesshomaru nodded his head. "I will return to Inuyasha and inform him of my decision."

With a knowing smirk, Inu no Taisho gave his own nod. There were more reasons why his son wanted to get back to his intended mate besides _informing Inuyasha of his decision_. "You should stop and see Norim before returning. Inuyasha may have matured to adulthood, but a pregnancy at his young age would be dangerous."

Shoulders stiff, Sesshomaru tried not to be offended by his father's words. "I've no intention of allowing Inuyasha to be bred yet. His body is far too fragile to risk with such a heavy burden." Golden eyes fighting against the crimson threatening their edges, the Prince of the West felt mokomoko fluff with irritation. "This Sesshomaru has been closely monitoring his intended mate's health these past few days. Inuyasha is in need of rest tonight. I will contact the healer in the morning and have the hanyou examined and treated to prevent such a pregnancy."

Far from angered by his son's reaction, Inu no Taisho felt a touch of pride as well as glee. No doubt Sesshomaru thought his possessive actions to be anything but what a normal dominant felt for their submissive. But the Lord of the West had observed many mated pairs over the centuries and knew his son's actions to be far more than instinct. With a restrained smile etched across his face, Inu no Taisho answered a soft, "Well then, it looks like you have everything in hand. We will speak again tomorrow morning regarding the plans for the ceremony. Goodnight, son."

"Father." With nothing further to say, Sesshomaru left his sire standing in that hall, his own mind a whirling tsunami of thoughts regarding Inuyasha's true heritage. Although pleased that his intended mate was his uncle's son, Sesshomaru also understood the further danger that placed his hanyou in. And although at this point only he, his father, and Miroku knew the truth, if the monk could figure it out, it wouldn't take long for those clever of mind to do the same.

Pace quickening, Sesshomaru suddenly felt the need to be near his intended mate – to keep Inuyasha safe from all harm. To that end, he would need to hone his hanyou's skills both in fighting and strategizing. No doubt Inuyasha had honor and determination, but did his InuHanyou also possess cunning? Somehow, Sesshomaru doubted it. Inuyasha's honesty and openness were two of his most appealing traits and the Prince of the West was loath to try and alter it. In fact, the more he thought on the matter, the more he was determined to keep that part of Inuyasha's personality intact. To that end, Sesshomaru would sink his own soul further into the muck of youkai treachery. He would happily take on the mantel of that particular burden if it would keep Inuyasha's innocence intact for as long as possible.

::::::::::

Passing several guards on his way to his and Inuyasha's quarters, Sesshomaru barely acknowledged their nods of deference. Moving further down the hall and closer to their rooms, the guards disappeared as there was no need or desire to have other dominants near his not yet fully claimed submissive mate. Sliding open the door of his own room, Sesshomaru was only mildly surprised to see Kitanya sitting upon the floor, head bowed.

"Forgive my intrusion, Prince Sesshomaru."

Walking further into the room, Sesshomaru removed his armor. "You wish to speak to me without Inuyasha's knowledge?"

Standing from her position, Kitanya's hands balled into tight fists. "I would like your permission to deal with certain . . . negative opinions amongst the servants."

Turning, Sesshomaru's cold eyes revealed nothing. "Am I to assume you are speaking of their thoughts in regards to Inuyasha?"

Nodding once, Kitanya's brown eyes looked fierce. "Inuyasha is used to such derogatory words and does not see the harm they can breed. He . . . he does not wish for any to be _harmed_ for expressing their distaste regarding his half-breed status."

"And you are not of the same opinion."

"No. Words can sometimes be the most sinister of weapons."

Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was far from surprised with the knowledge that the palace servants were already speaking in those kinds of derogatory words. He was also unsurprised by Inuyasha's reaction to that knowledge. What did please him was Kitanya's reaction. "What is it you wish of this Sesshomaru?"

Taking in a deep breath, Kitanya looked to the door connecting Sesshomaru's rooms to the sleeping hanyou. "Only that you allow me to deal with them as I see fit. I promised Inuyasha I would not physically harm them and I plan to keep to that promise, but as you well know, there are other ways to . . . change an opinion. I only ask that, should any come to you with complaint, that you support my actions."

"I can not offer you absolute leeway."

Shaking her head, Kitanya stated, "I'm not asking for that." Giving a rather devious smile, the bear submissive tilted her head to the side. "You forget that I was once the princess of the Eastern Bear Tribe as well as the designated mate of Jakotem. If my past has taught me anything, it is discretion. If I am doing my job correctly, you shall never be approached regarding my actions."

Golden eyes fixed upon the smaller form before him, Sesshomaru was pleased when the bear submissive refused to flinch. "You may do as you wish."

Bowing, Kitanya's smile turned genuine before rising again to ask her final favor. "I would also like to ask if I might be allowed more instruction in physical defense. I am afraid that I am woefully inadequate with those skills. I do not wish to be a burden upon Inuyasha should fighting be necessary."

More than satisfied with such a request, Sesshomaru nodded his head. "I shall see to an instructor once Inuyasha and I are mated."

"If I might ask, has a date been set?"

"We are to be mated tomorrow. I see no need to wait."

Eyes going wide, Kitanya could only stare as her mind wondered exactly what Inuyasha's response might be. Although she'd like to give the hanyou more time to adjust, she also saw the wisdom in completing the mating as soon as possible. "As always, I shall be at Inuyasha's disposal."

"As would be expected. Now, if there is nothing further, you may leave."

Bowing low once more, Kitanya turned and quietly walked through the adjoining door, shutting it silently behind her as she made her way through Inuyasha's chamber and into her own attached sleeping quarters.

Waiting a few moments, Sesshomaru finally resumed undressing until he was stark naked. Thinking of his hanyou, the InuYoukai casually wrapped a light yukata around his body before quietly walking through the door Kitanya had just passed through. Once inside, the sweet, intoxicating scent of InuHanyou assaulted his senses and set his youkai instantly at ease. Eyes quickly scanning the room, Sesshomaru easily found Inuyasha curled up within a pile of furs his hanyou had dragged to the far corner of the room.

Walking toward this spot, Sesshomaru was more than aware that his hanyou wasn't sleeping. "Inuyasha."

Ears twitching, Inuyasha gave a wide yawn while sitting up. "What were you and Kitanya talkin' about?"

"Your servant wishes to learn how to better physically defend herself. She was inquiring if she might be allowed to train further." Sesshomaru hadn't lied, he just didn't tell Inuyasha the bulk of he and Kitanya's discussion.

Scratching behind an ear, Inuyasha let loose another yawn. "Probably not a bad idea. Bad shit can happen anytime so it's best to be prepared. Learnin' some self-defense might give her a bit more confidence too." Amber eyes looking up, Inuyasha's head tilted to the side. "What did ya tell her?"

"I informed Lady Kitanya that I would find her the proper instructor once you and I were officially mated."

"-Keh, don't see why it has to wait that long."

Staring forward, Sesshomaru remained silent for a moment before answering, "I have asked father to make the arrangements for us to finalize our mating tomorrow."

Mouth falling open, Inuyasha's amber eyes went wide. "T-to-morrow? Why so soon?"

"I do not see the need to wait longer."

Inuyasha's ears went flat with anxiety. Head tilting down, the hanyou's bangs covered his worried eyes. "Did it ever occur to you to ask me if that was okay?"

"No."

 _No._ It was the most simple, brief and yet heartbreaking answer Inuyasha could have gotten. _No._ Sesshomaru had not considered his feelings or desires for a moment. And why should he? Why had Inuyasha thought the answer would be any different? Hell, why he'd even asked was beyond him.

Pulling his furs tighter, Inuyasha slipped back down, turning his back on his prospective mate as he nuzzled deeper, desperately seeking a warmth that could not be found. Face sufficiently hidden, the hanyou forced his voice to be void of all emotion. "Just tell me where to be and when I gotta be there."

Looking down upon the balled up form of his submissive, Sesshomaru had a moment to wonder at Inuyasha's reaction. All told, the hanyou had been very compliant, yet for some odd reason, the InuYoukai did not feel satisfied. Contemplative, Sesshomaru did not realize how long he'd been standing until he heard Inuyasha gruff, "You plannin' on standin' there the whole night or what?"

With a single blink, Sesshomaru realized there was no need for him to remain. With his own rooms right next door and this wing of the palace so well protected, there was little to fear where the safety of his intended mate was concerned. Why then, was he so reluctant to leave?

Pushing the issue from his mind, Sesshomaru turned and began walking toward the door separating the two rooms. Reaching for the thin screen, the Prince of the West turned to look at the mound that was his hanyou. "A meal will be brought to you in the morning. The healer, Norim will also come to examine you prior to our official mating." With nothing further, Sesshomaru closed the door and walked out onto his own balcony.

Huddled beneath layers of furs, Inuyasha's ears laid flat against his head, his body curled in on itself as he fought the tears stinging his eyes. He'd known this was how it was going to be. Somewhere, deep in his gut, he'd realized and accepted what he was signing up for the moment he'd agreed to be the Prince of the West's submissive mate. What he hadn't expected was for it to all happen so damn soon. He'd only met Sesshomaru a few days ago and although he liked the bastard's scent and felt far too at ease around his powerful as fuck youkai, that sure as shit didn't mean he was ready to be mated to him.

Shivering, Inuyasha couldn't get the image of being rutted out of his mind. To place his body in such a vulnerable position . . . to willfully allow Sesshomaru's cock into him . . . gods above, how in the hell was he supposed to do that? From Inuyasha's previous conversation with the InuYoukai, he knew that rutting meant nothing to his dominant mate, but for the hanyou, it was a completely different matter. Could Inuyasha really be that detached from something so intimate? Somehow, he didn't think so. But what bothered him even more than his own reaction to it was the fact that this would mean absolutely nothing to Sesshomaru. To the InuYoukai, fucking his half-breed ass would be seen as nothing more than the ice-prick's duty – A chore that needed to be done and little more.

Shoving his thoughts deep into his already churning gut, Inuyasha clenched his eyes closed against such images. With gritted teeth, the hanyou berated himself. In truth, he didn't know what he was complaining about. Sesshomaru gave no indication he'd be unnecessarily brutal. Had Inuyasha lost to Jakotem, things would have been so much worse. No doubt that bastard would have taken him in the most violent and degrading of ways. And even though he'd only known Sesshomaru for a few short days, Inuyasha got the distinct impression that that kind of activity was far beneath the Prince of the West.

Letting out a deep breath, Inuyasha's glistening amber eyes opened, his head peeking out of his furs just enough that he could see the moonlight dancing off the walls of his room. Emotions firmly back under control, the hanyou once more convinced himself that what he had was enough – more than enough really. More than he'd ever thought he'd get and more than he probably deserved. As always, he'd suck it up, deal with whatever came and make the best of it.

With those thoughts in mind, Inuyasha didn't so much as sleep, but his body did relax enough to get some semblance of rest. As always, tomorrow would come and it would take care of itself.

 _Soooo . . . the chapter may be shorter, but there's a boatload of info in it, much of it is kinda important for later. Many of you had been wondering about Tessaiga and it finally made an appearance. Don't worry, it will won't be the sword's last mention. And, in case any of you are wondering, we will be meeting Sesshomaru's mother, Lady Shayou down the way (far, far, far down the way). As an aside, I had a reviewer wonder about the inu's scents and why Inuyasha and Sesshomaru seemed so hung up on them at first and now not quite as much. Mostly I thought because it's kind of something they're getting used to, but it will still affect them._

 _This story gets the mid-week update. We don't quite get to the mating ceremony next chapter, but we will by the next one (get your sugar ready to sweeten the citrusy goodness). Hope you all liked that one and I'll hopefully post again Thurs or Fri. Until then, be well and have a good week._

 _lunamist_


	13. Chapter 13

_Hey everyone, it's mid-week update time. Thank you all so very, very, very much for your lovely reviews. Today was kind of a shitty day at work and coming home and reading them makes me feel a little better. You make me feel appreciated and I love hearing that my stories make your days a little brighter. Everyone needs an escape and pick-me-up now and again and that's what I hope to accomplish by posting the nutty stuff that goes on in my head :-)_

 _Anywho . . . glad many of you liked both Kitanya's growing role as well as the discussion regarding Inu no Taisho and his brother. I agree with many of you that not telling Inuyasha is most likely a mistake and, well, we'll just have to wait and see how that pans out. Also had one reviewer make a good point and ask if I've given Inu no Taisho an actual name as that is more his title than anything else. I hadn't really thought about it and probably won't, but I think it's an excellent point. Also had some of you wondering how Shayou will be portrayed and all I can say is that I had a lot of fun writing her part, but it will be a bit before she shows up._

 _We meet a new character in this chapter that will have a rather significant role in the future. This chapter is also a little shorter but the next should be longer._

 _Chapter 13 . . ._

Waking with the dawn, Kitanya left her small sleeping room to find Inuyasha already up and standing on the balcony. With a quick word, she left to collect a small meal for him and soon returned with a few strips of cooked rabbit, a slice of fresh bread, an apple and some tea. Eerily quiet, she watched the hanyou eat all she'd brought, but Kitanya somehow doubted Inuyasha tasted any of it.

With the meal eaten, she ushered him into the connected private bathing chamber and left Inuyasha to his thoughts and privacy. Kitanya had little doubt that Inuyasha knew about the coming mating ceremony and knew he was fighting the anxiety that would naturally come from it. Fully aware that Sesshomaru was pushing the mating ceremony, Kitanya understood the prince's reasons, but also understood that the rapidity of such an action was hard on one as young and inexperienced as Inuyasha was. But as she'd quickly learned, the hanyou was a creature of pride and if he desired to keep his feelings hidden, then she would honor that wish.

Gathering a clean kimono for Inuyasha, Kitanya discreetly laid the soft fabric beside the warm water, leaving almost as quickly as she'd entered and very aware that Inuyasha had most likely only known she was there on the most basic of levels. Returning to the main room, the bear submissive had only begun gathering the morning's dishes when she heard the door separating Inuyasha's room from Sesshomaru's softly open. Looking up, Kitanya straightened before bowing. "Prince Sesshomaru."

Ignoring the greeting, Sesshomaru walked in, a smaller, male youkai trailing behind him. Short brown hair tinged in white, the new youkai had two diminutive antlers sprouting from just behind his ears. With large brown eyes and a soft smile, Kitanya instantly recognized two things about him: first, he was a deer youkai and second, he was a healer.

Although not needing the confirmation, Kitanya returned the healer's smile when he introduced himself, "I am Norim, Head Healer of the Inu clan and the Western Palace."

Giving the proper respect, Kitanya introduced herself in return.

Golden eyes scanning the room, Sesshomaru could still easily scent Inuyasha nearby but couldn't see him. "Where is the hanyou?"

Kitanya was about to inform Sesshomaru that Inuyasha was in the bath when said hanyou entered the room. "I'm right the fuck over here."

Eyes fixated, Sesshomaru stared at his soon to be mate, silvery-white strands of hair darkened and dripping water, easily soaking the thin kimono wrapped around his body. For an instant, the Prince of the West felt his youkai flair with something he barely recognized – desire.

Ignorant to the sudden burst of emotion raging through Sesshomaru's body, Inuyasha turned his attention to his newest guest. "You Norim?"

Giving a low bow, Norim's smile softened even further. "I am, Prince Inuyasha."

In return, Inuyasha growled. "Am I gonna have to go through this every damn time? I ain't no prince. Just call me Inuyasha and we'll get along fine."

Large eyes blinking, Norim had no desire to show disrespect to his prince's chosen mate. Looking to Sesshomaru, the healer could tell little from the icy mask Sesshomaru wore. "But – "

Although he cared little for the healer's discomfort, Sesshomaru wished to proceed sooner rather than later. "Norim, within these chambers, you may address the hanyou as he requests. Publically, this shall be a different matter." Before Inuyasha had time to argue, Sesshomaru pointedly looked at his intended mate and added, "We shall discuss later what an acceptable title might be."

"As you wish." Looking from his prince to the now irritated hanyou, Norim's smile changed. Instead of simply looking soft and welcoming, his lips now had a knowing smirk to them. "Inuyasha, Prince Sesshomaru has asked that I examine your health today. As you are to be officially mated this evening, it is imperative that you be well enough to accept the final mating."

Inuyasha figured what Norim wasn't saying was that what they really wanted to know was if his body could physically bear Sesshomaru shoving his dick up his ass without doing permanent damage. Head turned down and to the side; Inuyasha once more shoved his angered anxiety deep into his chest. With a deep breath, the hanyou raised defiant amber eyes towards Sesshomaru. "Fine, but I don't see why you gotta be here."

Lips pulled back slightly, Sesshomaru barely contained the snarl his youkai desperately wanted to let loose. "Inuyasha, you are my intended mate. I will not leave you alone with – "

"He's submissive too." Taking a deeper sniff of air, Inuyasha added, "And a mated one at that. Don't see how he'd have much interest in me." Seeing the firm set to Sesshomaru's lips, Inuyasha sighed. "Listen, I heard him say he's not only the top healer of the Western Palace, but the Inu clan as well. Somehow I got a feelin' he wouldn't have that position if he wasn't good and you didn't trust him."

Everything his hanyou said was logical and yet Sesshomaru could not and would not leave his prospective mate when he would be in such a vulnerable position. "Inuyasha, I can not leave."

"Damn-it, I – "

"I can not leave completely." Looking to Norim, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. "This Sesshomaru will be in the next room with the door open. You are to examine the hanyou and provide the necessary medications for tonight's mating, nothing more."

Head bowed, Norim had been dealing with overly possessive youkai, as well as the powerful Inu clan for well over six centuries and although he didn't dismiss the threat, he had long ago learned to work through them. "As you wish, Prince Sesshomaru."

Finding that answer at least marginally acceptable, Sesshomaru wished to avoid the next battle and ordered, "Kitanya, you will come with me."

With a quick bow to both Inuyasha and Norim, Kitanya hurried after her prince but not before throwing a reassuring smile in Inuyasha's direction.

At least superficially alone with the healer, Inuyasha let out a deep and cleansing breath. "Fuck, that shit's gettin' old and it's only been a few days."

Laughing, Norim began pulling small pouches of herbs from the pockets of his robes. "I could lie and tell you that it will improve in the future, but I highly doubt that to be the case."

Carefully eyeing the healer, Inuyasha easily noted that, just like all the other youkai he'd met here, Norim was also pure and powerful – in his own way. Only slightly taller than Inuyasha, just like all youkai, Norim's physical appearance had little to do with his capabilities. Although he doubted the healer to be dangerous in the traditional sense of the word, no doubt Norim was very capable where it counted. No way in hell was Inuyasha about to underestimate this deer youkai, despite the kind smile radiating off his face.

Glancing up to easily catch the hanyou's analyzing gaze, Norim straightened. "I'm sure you have questions."

"-Keh, not really. I figure you're here to make sure I can really have pups and to make sure my body can take what's comin' tonight. Don't really see what there is to ask about that."

Norim's smile faltered slightly at the bitingly practical tone Inuyasha had said that with. "For the most part, that is accurate. But, it is also my understanding that you have lived a fair amount of time both on your own as well as staying within a human village. Not to mention the fact that you are hanyou. Although I am the most knowledgeable healer within these lands if not within the world, I have never had to opportunity to treat a half-breed of your age before."

Ears lying flat, Inuyasha didn't really like what that implied. "You sayin' you've treated a half-breed before that was younger or older?"

Norim's lips pulled down with his sadness. "I have attempted to treat two hanyou children. It was well over two centuries ago. Unfortunately, they had been severely mistreated and by the time they came into my care . . . well, there was little I could do for them."

"Figures." With some effort, Inuyasha managed to shove his hands into the narrower sleeves of the kimono he now wore.

"Unfortunately, what that also means is that my knowledge and experience where half-breeds are concerned is woefully minimal. You are very important to the continuation of the lineage of the Inu line and more importantly, to the leadership and stability of the Western Lands. It is my duty to see to your continued well-being and see to the needs of keeping your body hale and hearty. To that end, I'm afraid you will be seeing much of me in the coming years."

Head cocked to the side, Inuyasha stared at the deer youkai before him before finally shrugging his shoulders. Norim could have lied to him and said that he'd treated a lot of hanyou in his day. That would have made Inuyasha less concerned and made the healer look more impressive in his eyes, but Norim hadn't done that. Instead, the healer had told him the truth when he could have easily done otherwise and Inuyasha would have been none the wiser. At least it was a start.

With a huff of finality, Inuyasha asked, "So, what do ya need from me?"

Smiling, Norim decided he agreed with his mate's first impression. He liked this new submissive his prince had chosen and if things continued as they were, he would do everything in his power to protect and heal the hanyou from whatever pain this world decided to throw at him. With that in mind, Norim moved closer, his hands raised and beginning to glow with a hazy blue light. "It is really fairly simple . . . and painless . . . "

::::::::::

Sesshomaru had waited as patiently as he could within the walls of his room. He had conceded to his hanyou's request for privacy, but had left the sliding, rice paper wall separating their room's open. Staring out from his balcony, the Prince of the West let the crashing waves sooth his troubled mind. Earlier, when Inuyasha had been fresh from his bath and dripping wet, the InuYoukai had felt something so raw and carnal that he hardly knew what it was. As he'd told Inuyasha earlier, Sesshomaru had rutted numerous times and was by no means new to the ways of sex. And yet, in all those incidents, their had been little to no emotion behind it, only a biological need. Yes, he'd both given and received pleasure, but the occasions had been easily forgotten and meant next to nothing to him.

The Prince of the West had sampled the finest flesh youkai society had to offer. No matter the gender, these pure youkai had been exquisitely beautiful and yet none had sparked that kind of a reaction from him. Was it simply the result of the claiming mark he'd made? Did their burgeoning connection have this much of an effect on him? Thinking to his own parent's mating and relationship, Sesshomaru found that difficult to believe.

Despite his musings, Sesshomaru was always aware of what was happening in the room housing his hanyou and made not a single move when he heard Norim enter, the fragile door whispering closed behind him. Barely a few seconds later, Sesshomaru heard Norim's soft voice echoing from the doorway leading to his balcony. "Lord Sesshomaru, I have finished with my examination."

Finally turning from the turbulent sea, Sesshomaru's golden eyes fixed on the small deer youkai before him. "Your conclusions?"

Filling his lungs with the salty scent of the sea, Norim moved closer but still kept a respectable distance from his prince. "From the history I have heard mentioned, I'd say Inuyasha's health is considerably better than one would assume. I do not know if his smaller stature is due to his human heritage or if it is a consequence of his circumstances as a child. Whatever the reason, it has not hindered his strength or the capacity for him to bear a pup. His healing capacities seem adequate, but their rate is not as rapid as a pure youkai's." Brows pulled down into furrowed worry, Norim shook his head before continuing. "Your intended submissive could due with a little more weight and of course I do not recommend breeding him at this young of an age. Inuyasha has reached his maturity, but his youkai and body are still quite fragile. Given a few more decades, the risk to his body should be minimal while carrying your future heir."

"There is no need for Inuyasha to conceive yet. I've no plans to push his body in such a way."

Like Sesshomaru, Norim had been a member of the Western Palace long enough that hiding his emotions was as natural as breathing. Still, the healer felt a wave of relief flood through him at those words. "In that case, I shall have the Lady Kitanya bring Inuyasha a medicated tea this afternoon. The special brew should inhibit conception, but as I have already informed Inuyasha, my knowledge of hanyou needs is poor and unfortunately, it is not only my knowledge but also those of youkai healers in general. Given the overall feeling towards half-breeds, few live to an age where mating's are possible."

Back stiffening, Sesshomaru's placid face grew that much more rigid. "Are you telling this Sesshomaru that you are incapable of caring for his mate?"

"No. What I am saying is that there are none living within the world with more knowledge or capability than I, and that is an unfortunate circumstance. As such, I am uncertain whether or not our traditional youkai remedies will work the same way within Inuyasha's body."

Silent and unmoving, Sesshomaru thought over the words and finally nodded his understanding. He may not like what Norim had to say, but the healer had been tending to his family since before Sesshomaru's own birth. There truly was no better healer within the Western Lands and Sesshomaru suspected the world. "Whatever you require to treat the hanyou shall be at your disposal."

Smile finally back on his face, Norim dropped his cold mask and gave a genuine grin. "For what it's worth, both Masaru and I are pleased with your choice. Inuyasha is the rarest of finds. As his healer, you have my solemn vow that I will do everything within my power and ability to keep your mate safe. As for my mate and your Commanding General, Masaru is also very taken with the Inuyasha. Should you require anything, you have but to ask and we will happily do all that we can."

"This Sesshomaru is more than capable of seeing to his submissive mate's security."

Far from bothered by his prince's words, Norim was encouraged by the fierce protective response. "I did not mean to imply otherwise, only to offer whatever aid we might be able to provide."

Satisfied, Sesshomaru turned from the healer, his gaze once more settling over the rolling waves. "It matters not whether you approve of my choice. No matter your opinion, I would expect you to loyally serve the bearer of the future heir of the West."

Staring at only Sesshomaru's back, Norim slyly smiled. The response was expected. As composed as the Prince of the West was, it always seemed as if Sesshomaru's mokomoko betrayed his master for the length of white fluff was twitching with the InuYoukai's suppressed anxiety. Wisely pushing down the laughter threatening his life, Norim deeply bowed, all the while knowing Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to see it. "Of course, my prince. If you have no further need of me, there are others in need of my services."

"This Sesshomaru no longer requires your presence. Kitanya was sent to the kitchens, you will inform her that I require her service."

"I will find the Lady Kitanya." Bowing once more, Norim added, "Masaru and I will see you at the ceremony this evening," before turning to leave.

Having nothing further to say, Sesshomaru remained quiet while Norim left. All told, Sesshomaru was pleased with Norim's findings. Having observed his hanyou over the past few days, the InuYoukai had assumed as much, but it was good having confirmation regarding Inuyasha's overall health as well as his abilities to conceive and bear viable offspring. No doubt the healer's report would sooth at least some of the concerns Lord Inu no Taisho would undoubtedly be fielding, but he would let his father deal with such things for now. Sesshomaru already felt on edge and thought that should any question his choice in mate, there would be one less youkai living within the Western Palace.

Attention drifting to Norim's final words, Sesshomaru thought on the coming mating ceremony and felt his youkai stir in irritation. He'd told his father that he did not wish to publically mate Inuyasha for his hanyou's sake and yet that had not been the entire truth. Far from ashamed of Inuyasha's body, Sesshomaru found the thought of any other seeing his submissive's flesh repulsive. Inuyasha's body was meant for him and him alone and the simple realization that this was how he felt made the situation with his hanyou even more puzzling. Youkai mated all the time and seemed to have little issue with others seeing their chosen mate not only naked, but in the throws of raucous rutting. So why was he having such an issue with it?

Magenta striped eyelids closed over brilliant golden orbs, Sesshomaru let the thought go. His father had promised to find a way that would satisfy both those in attendance as well as Inuyasha's needs and if Inu no Taisho had made him a promise, then there was little doubt it would not be done.

Soon enough, the soft voice of Kitanya entered into his consciousness as the bear submissive asked for entrance. Pulling his body from the balcony and the sea, Sesshomaru answered a brief, "Enter," while walking in the heart of his room.

"You wished to see me, my prince?"

Barely looking in Kitanya's direction, Sesshomaru continued walking towards the door leading to the hall beyond. "You will see to the hanyou and prepare him for the ceremony this evening. I assume you are capable of doing this."

"I shall see to it."

"I have given specific instructions to the palace tailors and they should be bringing his clothing by soon. They have been instructed to give the necessary articles to you and leave. No other is to be within his room without this Sesshomaru's presence. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Prince Sesshomaru."

"I will inform Jaken that he is to wait with the guards down the hall, should you need me you have but to inform the kappa and he will find me."

Unable to hide her grin, Kitanya thought of Jaken and how much the little toad was going to hate his orders. If she thought Sesshomaru had an ounce of humor within him, she'd order the kappa to run back and forth as many times as possible just for fun. "Might I ask who will be coming to escort Inuyasha to the ceremony?"

Breaking stride for just a moment, Sesshomaru stopped to think but couldn't for the life of him come up with anyone whom he'd trust with something that important. Inuyasha would be at his most vulnerable while traveling through the palace to the ceremony. Unbidden, an image of a lecherous smile crossed his mind and Sesshomaru forced back a scowl. Escorting the intended mate of the Prince of the West was a deep honor and should he ask whom he was thinking, the monk would never let him hear the end of it.

As much as he hated to admit it, Miroku was a wise choice. The monk was deceptively powerful and had already proven his willingness to die for his hanyou. The only problem he could really foresee was that many underestimated Miroku's abilities and although he had little doubt the monk could do the job, Sesshomaru really wanted to avoid an altercation all together.

Finally turning to Kitanya, Sesshomaru answered, "You may expect Miroku and Sango. You are to release the hanyou to no other unless under my command."

Happy with the choice, Kitanya smiled and bowed. "As you wish, my prince."

Content with Kitanya's response as well as his own choices, Sesshomaru walked into the hall, his mind preoccupied with all that he needed to do today. He needed to speak to a number of youkai so that he could determine who might best be able to further Inuyasha's education. His hanyou was a quick learner and Sesshomaru had little doubt Inuyasha would be capable of picking things up at a decent pace, but his submissive mate was vocal and would need youkai that were not easily offended. And unfortunately, that criteria was the most difficult to fit. Sesshomaru would hate to dispatch an otherwise useful member of the Western Lands simply because they couldn't control their pride when around his hanyou.

Soft footfalls dancing across the wooden planks of the hall, Sesshomaru knew his first stop – Norim's mate and Commanding General of the Western Lands defenses – Masaru.

::::::::::

Shifting slightly, Inuyasha felt the soft fabric of his new clothes move against his skin. Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, he'd been almost scared to see what kind of get-up he was going to have to wear to this damn ceremony. By the time the tailor had finally come to deliver his clothes, he'd been in a very foul mood. But that mood had almost instantly lifted when he'd seen the familiar shot of red folded beneath the pristine white of his new underclothes.

Shoving his hands deep into familiar sleeves, Inuyasha was more than relieved by the familiar comfort of his own firerat. Although the thing cleaned itself, the hanyou noted that the fur had been brushed out and had a luster he'd never before seen in it. Still, it was his same old firerat and he gladly threw it on over the crisp new underclothes.

When she'd seen it, Kitanya had only smiled and nodded her head with approval while spouting off something about how wise Sesshomaru was to have chosen it. For one, they all knew it already fit and for another, it was a potent symbol of Inuyasha's own strengths and abilities. To Inuyasha's mind, everyone was making too big of a deal out of him killing a firerat youkai.

Releasing a hand, Inuyasha couldn't help but fiddle with his silvery-white strands of hair. Overall, Kitanya hadn't really done much in her efforts to _get him ready_ , with the exception of his hair. Running the strands between his claws, Inuyasha watched as his hair flowed like water in between his fingers. Never in his life could the hanyou remember his hair feeling this soft or shiny. For the moment it was enough to distract his mind from where he was actually being escorted.

Deceptively languid, Miroku strode down hallway after hallway, his face relaxed into an easy smile but his eyes sharp with attention. Walking to the right of the hanyou, Miroku's staff musically chimed with each step. To Inuyasha's left, Sango strode, her posture held high, arms and hands hanging free and ready to go for any number of weapons she carried upon her body should the slightest threat appear. Finally, taking up the rear, Kitanya followed, her ears tuning out Miroku's idle hum and instead focused on the surrounding structures.

Humming light and low, Miroku knew his hanyou friend must be teaming with nerves and sought to ease whatever burdens he could. To her credit, Sango never once ordered him to stop and instead did what she'd become an expert in – ignoring the monk.

As they turned yet another corner, Miroku saw that Inuyasha's head had bent even lower and decided more than humming was needed. "I had no idea your hair could actually look that good, Inuyasha."

Head snapping up, Inuyasha's amber eyes narrowed. "You makin' fun of my hair now?"

"Never," Miroku smirked. "I was simply making the observation that you are looking quite fetching this evening."

Inuyasha didn't really think he wanted to look _fetching_ and blushed to the tips of his exposed clawed toes. Murmuring a, "Whatever, monk," Inuyasha's head bent down once more.

For one of the first times in his life, Miroku felt at a loss for words. Shooting a slightly worried gaze in Sango's direction, the huntress merely shrugged her shoulders. Comforting others wasn't really one of Sango's specialties. Heaving a great sigh, the monk racked his brain for something to talk about when Inuyasha interrupted his thoughts by asking, "So, how long does this thing usually take anyways?"

"You mean the mating ceremony?"

"-Keh, what the fuck else would I be askin' about?"

Reaching his free hand up, Miroku scratched the side of his chin. "Well, I suppose that depends on the pair being mated. Traditionally the higher the rank, the longer the ceremony."

Inuyasha groaned. "That's what I was afraid of."

Patting the hanyou on his shoulder, Miroku beamed. "Don't trouble yourself about it too much. As soon as the official mating is done, Sesshomaru will take you and you won't have to worry about interacting with all those other stuffy youkai." With a wink, Miroku added, "I'm sure once Prince Sesshomaru starts, you won't even realize they're there."

Paling, Inuyasha stopped, Kitanya almost running into his back as she finally pulled her attention to their current conversation. "W-what? Y-you can't mean . . . I won't be . . . that ain't gonna happen in front of them? Right?"

Miroku stood, eyes wide as realization hit him. Inuyasha had no idea that the rutting was generally a public affair.

Realizing what had happened, Kitanya bowed her head in irritation. Had she been of a higher rank, she would have smacked the monk. Thankfully, Sango had no such hesitation and soon a resounding, _whack!_ followed by a muttered oath on Miroku's part gave Kitanya at least a measure of solace.

Glancing between the two females shooting daggers into his skull, Miroku eyes were pleading. "I assumed he knew."

"Idiot monk," Sango hissed.

Ignoring their bickering, Inuyasha's head swam with the new knowledge that he was about to be rutted, for the first time in his life, in front of a bunch of pure-bred stuck up youkai. Suddenly feeling sick, Inuyasha gripped his hands into tight fists before looking to Sango. "So, it's true?"

Shifting Hiraikotsu while shooting Miroku a final scathing look, Sango nodded, "Yes. I am sorry you are upset by this news, but truly Inuyasha, to us, this is a normal occurrence and nothing to be upset about. Personally, I have witnessed dozens of matings."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha felt lightheaded and worried when little black spots began dancing around the edges of his vision. With a deep growl, the hanyou pushed down the overwhelming fear. In his mind, Inuyasha told himself repeatedly that he could do this . . . that he would do this. He'd been beaten, starved, poisoned and ridiculed, surely this couldn't be worse than those things . . . could it?

Seeing her master's distress, Kitanya moved forward, easily sliding her hand around Inuyasha's tightly closed fist. Moving in front of him, the bear submissive looked into anxious amber eyes and gave a reassuring smile. "Inuyasha, do you now see the depth of my gratitude that you agreed to fight Jakotem on my behalf."

Confused by what seemed like an abrupt change in subject, Inuyasha looked quizzically over at Kitanya.

At the obvious confusion, Kitanya's clawed hand came up to gently cup Inuyasha's cheek. "Do you not see? Should I have mated Jakotem, he would have taken me in public, in front of all to see and he would not have been kind. As with my soul, my body meant nothing to him. Jakotem would have brutalized me and taken pleasure in my pain. He would have humiliated me in every way possible. You saved me from such a fate and that is but one of the many reasons I will serve you until the day I die."

"Kitanya, I – "

"Shhh." Placing a finger over Inuyasha's lips, Kitanya backed away a fraction of an inch. "Prince Sesshomaru has already shown that he values both your body and spirit. He is a youkai that takes care of that which belongs to him. Although even he cannot change what is required of you this evening, I believe the prince will do his utmost to make certain you are not overly damaged – in body or mind. Unlike Jakotem, Prince Sesshomaru will use the public mating as a way to show all those in attendance that you are more precious to him than any other."

Blinking once, Inuyasha stared into Kitanya's eyes and saw only fierce determination. Finally relaxing, the hanyou shook his head. Had he lost that day, Jakotem's terms had also dictated he would have become little more than a bed slave and most likely his fate would have been just as bad if not worse than Kitanya's. When compared to that, allowing Sesshomaru to rut him in front of a bunch of youkai he could give two shits about really didn't seem that bad. Or, at the very least, it was something he could live with.

Turning his head, Inuyasha looked down the hall. He wasn't really sure how close they were to their final destination. Being within the Western Palace was worse than being at the Gathering. There were too many powerful youkai, too many pungent scents and too gods be damned much noise most of the time for him to figure out where the danger spots were. Most likely it was simply a matter of practice, of learning to filter out the extraneous shit and focus in on what was important. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, growing up in the wilds of the forest had done little to prepare him for enclosed spaces and intensely packed together youkai.

And so, standing there in the hall, Inuyasha discovered how woefully unprepared and exposed he truly felt. He'd been irritated that Sesshomaru had essentially hidden him away since arriving. He'd thought the ice-prick saw him as weak and incapable of taking care of himself, but now, out in the open and senses overwhelmed and over stimulated, he could begin seeing the wisdom of his dominant's actions.

But even with his senses seemingly on the fritz, Inuyasha was getting the creepy feeling that there were eyes watching them – eyes that were far from friendly. Having learned to trust his instincts long ago, Inuyasha looked to Miroku and Sango, his head held high as he stated, "You takin' me to this thing or what?"

Glancing around, Sango couldn't agree more. They'd been loitering in one spot far too long for her comfort level. "Indeed, we've lingered long enough here."

Soon enough, they were moving again but Inuyasha couldn't shake the feeling of those damn eyes. Glancing to Miroku and Sango, he kind of got the feeling they'd noticed something too, at least, if he was reading their body language right. It wasn't until they'd turned another corner that Inuyasha's instincts calmed. Whatever had been there before appeared to be gone and the brief glance he saw his escorts give each other only confirmed his own suspicions.

With the vague, but immediate threat gone, Inuyasha thought back on Kitanya's words and frowned. He had little doubt Sesshomaru saw him as valuable and Kitanya was right, Sesshomaru would protect him but Inuyasha didn't really care for the reasons behind it. Looking down at his abdomen, the hanyou knew he was just a commodity – a vessel that would birth the next generation of the Western InuYoukai. He was a means to an end and little more. Somehow, he had to get that through his thick skull and stop letting the realization get to him.

Noticing both Miroku and Sango slowing, Inuyasha found himself standing in front of an ornate double sliding paper door. Turning, Sango bowed low to Inuyasha before reaching for Kitanya. "Inuyasha, this is where we must leave you. The monk will stay until you are called for."

Feeling his nerves fire once more, Inuyasha simply nodded before looking to Miroku. "You goin' in with me then?"

But Miroku only shook his head. "No, or at least, not in the way I believe you mean. When you are called, I shall open the doors but you will walk in alone. I will follow after but will not accompany you. Prince Sesshomaru and his father, Lord Inu no Taisho will be standing at the end of the room. You will go to them."

"Oh. 'Kay then."

Moving slightly forward, Kitanya gripped Inuyasha's arm and gave it a tiny squeeze before following the huntress known as Sango. Inuyasha watched them head down the hall and turn around another one of those blasted corners before he heard Miroku whisper. "Here we go." Far too soon, Inuyasha heard the swishing sound of doors as they parted before him.

 _Yeah, many of you are probably hating on me right now that I stopped it there, but you only have to wait until Sunday night for the actual mating. Yay! I'll tell you, if this keeps up, Kitanya will earn her psych degree in no time flat and Miroku won't be far behind._

 _Next chapter should be up on Sunday evening. Hope you all have a good rest of the week._

 _lunamist_


	14. Chapter 14

_Good evening everyone. From the reviews after the last chapter, many of you are anxious, curious and a little afraid for Inuyasha during the official mating. I hope the following chapter settles some of those concerns, but most likely a fresh crop of them will sprout up later. I had a reviewer request this be posted earlier. I'm sorry, but my schedule just wouldn't allow it today. Next Sunday I'm either going to have to post it really early or most likely later as I have a family function to attend. We'll have to see how the day goes there but regardless, the next chapter will be posted on that day whether it be early or late._

 _Just so everyone knows . . . there be citrus ahead, so if anyone is offended by that, well . . . I'm not sure what to say except you've been warned._

 _Chapter 14 . . ._

Standing tall and pristinely proud, Sesshomaru stood at the head of a wide room, his typical white robes covered in intricate blue half-moons dancing around the edge of the flowing fabric. Armor covering his chest and mokomoko elegantly draped behind him, the Prince of the West looked every bit the heir of Inu no Taisho.

Dressed just as regally as his son, the Lord of the West stood to the side, his own pride threatening to consume the entirety of the room. Golden eyes skimming the assembled youkai, Inu no Taisho looked for any hint of ill will. As quick as the mating ceremony was, it was doubtful there was any great plot waiting in the wings. No, if anything, they had to be concerned of the stupid rogue youkai out to make trouble. Although the chances of anyone actually getting to either the hanyou or his son were slim, Inu no Taisho was taking no chances. This mating meant more than he thought even Sesshomaru realized and the Lord of the West would see it done. Having his son officially mated to a submissive capable of being bred was but the first step to securing the Lands his own father had tamed all those centuries ago.

Ever vigilant, Sesshomaru let his eyes drift over the gathered youkai before landing upon the screened in room his father had created for he and Inuyasha's first rutting – when he would claim his hanyou both body and soul. Although not as private as the InuYoukai would like, Sesshomaru had to admit it was a decent compromise. Given the nature of the papered screen, the youkai in attendance would still be able to see both he and Inuyasha's silhouettes, hear their noises and know that he'd taken his submissive and given his hanyou the official mating bite. But the screen would give Inuyasha at least a measure of privacy and keep the particulars of his hanyou's skin and body to Sesshomaru's eyes alone.

Head tilted to the side, Sesshomaru heard his father command, "It is time," right before the doors at the end of the room slid open. Gaze locked upon the shot of bright red illuminating the otherwise drab décor, the Prince of the West felt his muscles tighten at the sight of his submissive mate.

Standing to the side and behind Inuyasha, Miroku gave a discrete nudge while whispering, "Time to make it official."

Only Inuyasha's first step was halting, but by the second, he had his head held high, his clawed toes moving him further into the room and closer to the dominant he'd agreed to mate. Walking toward Sesshomaru, Inuyasha felt a moment of gratitude that neither Kaede nor Kouga were here to witness this. Before he'd known he would be made to rut in front of the gathered group of youkai, Inuyasha had actually felt regret that his miko wouldn't be present, but now . . . now he was thanking every god he could think of that Kaede was miles away.

Almost to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha finally looked the prince in the eyes and as usual, couldn't figure out a single emotion going through the icy youkai's mind. Sometimes he wondered if the Prince of the West even had emotions.

In point of fact, Sesshomaru did suffer from a myriad of emotions, most of which he chose to tamp down into frail attempts at feelings. But as his hanyou drew up next to him, Sesshomaru could not completely stifle the mounting pleasure he felt at having this half-breed as his mate. With Inuyasha this close, it was easy for Sesshomaru to note the quickened pace of his hanyou's heartbeat along with the slightly pallid tint to his skin. Inuyasha was nervous but to those whom gathered to witness their mating, his hanyou appeared composed and sure.

Eyes moving past Inuyasha, Sesshomaru looked out onto the kneeling youkai, his golden eyes sharp with intent. Most of those within the room were high-level youkai whom were more than adept at hiding their feelings and intentions. Even so, Sesshomaru was able to see the hints of interest lingering in a few of those burning eyes. Those who'd yet to see his hanyou were probably surprised at how appealing the half-breed actually looked. No doubt the presence of the firerat robes only added to that curiosity.

Still, curiosity was one thing: lust, longing and ill intentions were another. The Prince of the West had little problem with other's lusting and longing for his submissive mate. In truth, Sesshomaru expected nothing less in regards to his chosen mate. But such desires were only acceptable if they were kept contained and inactive.

The sound of his father moving to stand in front of them brought Sesshomaru out of his musings. Going against every instinct they had, both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha turned their backs on the powerful youkai within the room. Eyes quickly scanning, Inuyasha saw Miroku, Sango and a rather impressive looking tiger youkai scattered along the far wall, their eyes not on the pair to be mated, but instead gazing upon the youkai at their backs. Combined with the fact that the Lord of the West was now facing them as well, Inuyasha figured there was a good reason Sesshomaru felt secure enough to take his eyes off those behind them and focus on the ceremony.

Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha steeled his soul for what was to come, his brain barely paying attention to what was being said, his body merely following Sesshomaru's lead. All the while, the hanyou could only think about what was to follow the ceremony, the anxiety of what he would be required to do weighing heavily upon his mind.

What seemed like far too short of a time, Inuyasha heard the Lord of the West proclaim he and Sesshomaru mated from now until death claimed them. With that declaration, Inuyasha realized he couldn't even remember the words he'd spoken nor the commandments he'd agreed to. Not that it probably mattered much. It wasn't like he would have argued them. But with the spoken part of the ceremony done, there was only one act necessary to seal their bond.

Standing frigidly still, Inuyasha forced his body to take air in and out of his lungs but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the fine tremors running just below his skin.

Sesshomaru looked down on his hanyou and easily noted the building anxiety. Wrapping his fingers around Inuyasha's arm, the Prince of the West leaned down to whisper into a puppydog ear, "It is time that I fully claim you."

With his breath catching in his throat, all Inuyasha could do was nod. Not even the soothing scent of Sesshomaru could ease his growing fears.

Hand firmly affixed to his submissive mate, Sesshomaru looked to his father and solemnly nodded. In response, Inu no Taisho looked to the youkai within the room, his smile strangely reassuring. "My son has requested a measure of privacy while taking his mate for the first time." Within the room there was a rush of whispered chatter mixed with obvious peels of disapproval. Smile changing to something all too sinister, the Lord of the West added, "You all know how possessive InuYoukai are and it appears as if my son is doubly so where his submissive is concerned."

Pleased by his father's words, Sesshomaru vaguely noted that Inuyasha's head had come up, his puppydog ears now high upon his head as he too listened to the Lord of the West's words with more interest.

Seeing his nephew, and now son in law's renewed curiosity, Inu no Taisho looked down at the hanyou and gave a wink before looking back to the gathered youkai. "Tradition will not be abandoned, only altered as Sesshomaru will still take his new mate within this room, but will do so behind the screened in shelter provided." Smile wide and beaming once more, the Lord of the West looked to a nearby door and nodded to a servant. "The celebratory meal will commence directly."

With that said, Inu no Taisho walked forward and gave his son and heir a low bow. "Sesshomaru, you have made me exceedingly pleased."

Although he'd never admit it out loud, hearing praise from his father always warmed Sesshomaru's apathetic heart and today was no different. It was true that if his father had not approved of Inuyasha, it would have made little difference and the InuYoukai would have mated his chosen submissive with our without his father's well wishes. However, having the Lord of the West's approval made Sesshomaru's youkai fairly purr with delight.

Bowing lower than his father, Sesshomaru's silvery-white tresses flowed over his shoulders. "It is always the wish of this Sesshomaru to please you, Lord of the Western Lands."

Stepping back, Inu no Taisho regarded his son and knew Sesshomaru spoke no falsities. For all their squabbling over the years, he had little doubt as to his son's true loyalties and desires. Sesshomaru was his son and heir in every way.

Turning from Sesshomaru, Inu no Taisho was only vaguely aware of the delicious smell of food as the servants began bringing in the dishes that would serve as the celebratory meal. Eyes now gazing down on the small hanyou, the Lord of the West wasn't surprised when Sesshomaru's mokomoko wrapped around Inuyasha, pulling the half-breed closer. "Inuyasha, know that my words are true. You are a desired and welcome addition to the Western Lands. May you be happy in your life here."

Not really sure what to say and feeling all but smothered wrapped within Sesshomaru's fluff, Inuyasha could only grunt out a, "Thanks."

Looking a bit more somber, Inu no Taisho retreated further, one of his arms coming up in a sweeping gesture as he pointed toward the makeshift screen he'd had created, "I don't think there's any more that needs to be said."

With just the slightest pull, Sesshomaru lifted Inuyasha's feet off the ground and carried him to the screened area. Pulling back a sheet of fabric meant to act like a door, the Prince of the West gazed around the small, enclosed space and mentally nodded with satisfaction. Laid upon the floor were a number of pristine, white furs. Without touching them, Sesshomaru knew they were most likely some of the softest pelts his father had been able to obtain.

Inuyasha had wanted to protest the fact that he'd been carried like some helpless child, but just couldn't seem to muster up the will to do it, not when he was literally faced with his fate. Taking a few shaky steps further, the hanyou barely registered the fact that the furs really were silken soft against his bare toes. With a quick glance to the side, Inuyasha realized it was difficult to see the youkai whom were but a few feet away but seeing as how he and Sesshomaru were up higher he thought they probably had a decent view of them.

Head tilted down, Inuyasha's bangs completely covered his face as he shoved his hands deep into the sleeves of his firerat. Forcing his body to turn, the hanyou raised his determined amber eyes. "So, you want me to strip or what?"

Calm and elegant as always, Sesshomaru inched forward, his deadly clawed hand coming up to graze along Inuyasha's obi. "Removing one's clothing is generally required for rutting."

"-Keh, that ain't true. All ya really need is access to the lower stuff. If you wanted, I could . . . I could just keep my top half covered."

Hooking a finger under the intricate knot holding his hanyou's obi in place, Sesshomaru easily pulled the fabric loose, the thin strip of fabric falling to the floor. "You wish to be covered in such a way?"

With a deep blush, Inuyasha's head lowered again. "No, I . . . I, well, I don't know. I guess I was just tryin' to make it easier for you. I mean it's not like I got to do a lot but just take it. You're the one that needs to you know . . . " waving a hand at Sesshomaru's groin, Inuyasha gritted his teeth, "you're the one that needs to be able to get hard and actually rut me."

Finally grasping the meaning behind Inuyasha's words, Sesshomaru reached up and eased the firerat from his hanyou's shoulders. "You believe that will be a problem for this Sesshomaru?"

Even more embarrassed, Inuyasha huffed, "No. I'd imagine you can get your fuckin' body to do whatever the hell you want, I just thought – "

"You thought I would not find your body desirable?"

In his mind, Inuyasha thought back to their conversation near Kaede's village and how coldly Sesshomaru spoke of the act of intimacy. Most likely if the ice-prick thought so little of his past experiences then he really could get it up no matter who his partner was. Moving out of Sesshomaru's reach, Inuyasha, mumbled a quiet, "Forget I said anything," and began tugging at his clothes, eager to simply get this done and over with.

Finding his hanyou's attitude unacceptable, Sesshomaru reached forward with mokomoko, wrapping Inuyasha in its warmth and scent.

"God's damn-it, bastard! You don't gotta – " Inuyasha's voice cut off when he felt his body slammed into the unyielding muscle of his dominant, Sesshomaru's cock hard and forcefully pushing into his ass. Gasping once, Inuyasha felt confused by his own emotions. He'd just thought Sesshomaru could get it up for anyone, so why then did it send his heart racing knowing how hard his mate was with him so near?

Leaning down, Sesshomaru took the corner of a puppydog ear between his teeth, applying just enough pressure to elicit a delicious moan. The Prince of the West had had enough partners in life that he thought himself an adequate lover and he would draw upon all those past experiences now if it would help make this experience pleasurable for his new mate.

Releasing the ear, Sesshomaru's warm breath ghosted over the moistened surface. "Make no mistake, Inuyasha, though I have rutted many times before, now that you are my mate, your body shall be the only one I seek for such release." Hand traveling down the front of his hanyou's groin, Sesshomaru's normally lethal claws gripped the forming bulge of his submissive. "Have no doubt that this Sesshomaru finds your body more than adequate for such a task."

Sesshomaru's words were lost upon Inuyasha. All he could process was the feel of his mate's hands upon his most sensitive areas. That feeling combined with the all too intoxicating scent radiating off Sesshomaru's body sent Inuyasha's mind tumbling into a void where thought seemed impossible. Leaning his head back, Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered almost as much as his voice. "W-what are you d-doin'?"

Releasing the tender flesh between his fangs, Sesshomaru eased his nose down, sniffing the neck of his submissive and relishing the soothing scent. "You are tense and need to relax, that is all I am attempting."

Inuyasha couldn't help the immediate tensing of his muscles when he felt Sesshomaru's fangs so near his jugular but he did tilt his head ever so slightly, giving the InuYoukai a little more access. The hanyou only wished the growl of approval he received for such an action didn't make him feel so content. So content, in fact, that he hadn't even realized just how busy Sesshomaru's hand had been until he felt the warm palm of his mate's flesh upon his hardening cock. Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha hissed, "S-Sessh-omaru."

Between the pressure on his cock and the wet tongue on his neck, Inuyasha was drowning in an array of new feelings, his hips starting to move back and forth on their own. Lost as he was to Sesshomaru, the hanyou had almost forgotten about the bevy of youkai but a few feet away, their body's shielded only by a flimsy paper screen. But just as Inuyasha's body was becoming lost, the sound of a dish breaking from not so far away brought him crashing back to reality.

Ears immediately perking up, Inuyasha threw his body forward, almost tripping over his fallen robes as he tried getting away. Amber eyes flashing, the hanyou tugged up his clothes while taking a fighting stance. Heart racing, Inuyasha couldn't believe he'd let his guard down so damn much. How could he have forgotten about the danger just beyond that flimsy screen?

Arms now empty of his mate; Sesshomaru stood silently staring and contemplative. At the sound of the breaking dishware, his hanyou had become anxious, Inuyasha's body position suggesting he thought an attack imminent. Lips turned down almost imperceptibly at the corners, Sesshomaru found the situation unacceptable. Did his mate not realize that he was safe within Sesshomaru's presence? Did Inuyasha not trust his dominant to protect him?

From his position, Sesshomaru could hear Inuyasha's heart as it fluttered anxiously within his hanyou's chest. "Inuyasha."

Not taking his eyes off the screen or the vague images swirling just beyond, Inuyasha answered a clipped, "What?"

"Do you truly mean to insult this Sesshomaru?"

" _Insult you_? What the fuck does that mean?" Inuyasha asked, his attention finally drawn from what was beyond their makeshift room.

"You act as if you are ready to do battle, that you expect an attack. When you became frightened, you ran away from me. If you truly respected my abilities to protect you, then you would have done the opposite."

Inuyasha blinked once and then once again as he stared in open disbelief. "I've told ya before that I don't need you to protect me and I sure as hell don't expect it, I – "

"You have been on your own for far too long with none to depend upon." Finally moving closer, Sesshomaru hooked a clawed finger under Inuyasha's chin, raising his head. "My knowledge regarding this is the only thing that is currently saving you from my ire."

"I – " worrying his bottom lip with a fang, Inuyasha didn't like the harder than normal look in Sesshomaru's eyes, and yet, for the life of him, he didn't know how to stop his natural reactions nor did he know if he truly wanted to do so. Pulling his head from Sesshomaru's touch, Inuyasha took a couple of hesitant steps back, his hand fisting the bunched cloth at his waist. "That's an awful lot to ask." Shaking his head, Inuyasha's silvery-white strands of hair drifted around his shoulders. "I don't know if I can do what you want."

Features their normal icy mask, Sesshomaru simply stared as he contemplated his mate's answer. Inuyasha had to know his response was not what the InuYoukai wanted to hear and yet he'd said it anyway. His submissive was being honest and that was a rare quality indeed.

Feet softly walking over the wooden slats of the palace, Sesshomaru made his way back to his hanyou. Reaching down, the Prince of the West placed his hand over the tightly fisted one of his mate, Inuyasha's claws desperately holding up the fabric of his firerat in an attempt at modesty. "In time, you will come to trust in this Sesshomaru. The day will come that when you feel threatened, it is my presence you will seek."

Inuyasha didn't know if he'd ever really be capable of that or not. "If you're lookin' for a promise, then you're gonna be disappointed."

"Then it is fortunate that I am not disappointed."

Blowing out a deep breath, Inuyasha felt his body relax, if only slightly. Little did he know how intoxicating Sesshomaru found his InuHanyou scent.

Working his fingers under Inuyasha's, Sesshomaru was finally able to pry the death grip his hanyou seemed to have upon the fabric of his robes. It was only with some effort that the Prince of the West heard the satisfying sound of cloth hitting the ground. What was even more satisfying was the beautiful blush flushing his hanyou's cheeks pink.

Leaning down, Sesshomaru's warm breath ghosted over an increasingly twitching puppydog ear. "Are you ready to take this Sesshomaru within your body?"

Tongue darting out, Inuyasha licked his dry lips. "I . . . I can handle it."

The response wasn't exactly what Sesshomaru wanted to hear. Despite his earlier success stimulating his hanyou, Inuyasha still seemed to regard their next act as something of an obligation and not an act of enjoyment. Well, Sesshomaru had never failed at anything and he'd be damned if he'd fail to make their rutting enjoyable.

With that thought in mind, Sesshomaru placed his hands on Inuyasha's shoulders and pushed, easily easing his hanyou's body down upon the soft furs below. Releasing his hands, Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha drew his knees up, covering his own nakedness while his eyes remained steadfastly down.

Sesshomaru wanted to scold his mate for attempting to hide from him, but he did not wish to make Inuyasha any more defensive than he already was. Instead, the Prince of the West calmly reached for his own obi, unwrapping the ornate piece of fabric and releasing his robes. With unimaginable grace and ease, Sesshomaru removed his outer armor and clothing. Standing tall and without an ounce of shame or indecency, the InuYoukai stood before his mate. "Inuyasha, look at me."

Hearing the order, Inuyasha instinctively lifted his head; his amber eyes going wide while his cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of pink. Looking up from his vantage point upon the floor, Sesshomaru looked even taller and broader than he was. With his alabaster skin softly glinting in the glow of the surrounding candles, Inuyasha was amazed to see that Sesshomaru's magenta stripes did indeed cover more of his mate's body. Sucking in a deep breath, all Inuyasha could do was mutter a quiet, "Fuck," as his mind swirled around the idea of how absolutely perfect Sesshomaru's body was. With a shake of his head, Inuyasha still didn't have a fucking clue why this powerful as shit InuYoukai had actually chosen him as a mate.

Sesshomaru was pleased with his hanyou's flushed face, but did not like the look that followed. It was a look he could not interpret. Thinking his mate might be a little intimidated by his size, Sesshomaru moved forward until his heavy cock was mere inches from his hanyou.

Looking back up, Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at what was placed right in front of his face. It wasn't like he'd really seen many other male members, in truth, he probably only had his own to judge against, but given how much taller Sesshomaru was than him, the hanyou wasn't really sure if it was fair to measure himself against his dominant mate. But regardless what his logic told him, all Inuyasha could do was think that the bastard before him was large – damn large and the asshole was only half-hard.

Swallowing, Inuyasha stared at the heavy flesh before him and wondered what exactly Sesshomaru expected him to do with it. Did he want the hanyou to suck him? Shuddering, Inuyasha didn't know if he could do that. Eyes darting up, Inuyasha looked at Sesshomaru, his amber orbs full of questions. "W-what . . . I mean, do you want . . . "

"You have little experience with flesh that is not your own. Soon, I will be buried deep within you. It is natural to feel apprehensive. If you would like, you may touch this Sesshomaru so that you might become more comfortable with this body."

"Oh . . . okay." Well, that sounded kind of logical - sort of. Shifting his weight, Inuyasha came up to his knees, one tentative hand outstretched toward Sesshomaru's waiting flesh. With a final glance up, the hanyou made sure his mate was actually okay with this, after all, Inuyasha was about to get his claws damn close to a very vulnerable area. At Sesshomaru's unwavering gaze, Inuyasha let the pad of a single finger gently glide over the InuYoukai's soft flesh.

At that simple touch, Sesshomaru's cock twitched, the whole length jerking upward. Now more curious than apprehensive, Inuyasha moved in closer, allowing more of his fingers to rake along Sesshomaru's growing cock. Seeing the response such simple actions were garnering, the hanyou became increasingly bold, his hand wrapping around Sesshomaru's length and stroking. Consumed as he was with watching his dominant mate's reactions, Inuyasha failed to realize how his own cock began swelling with his growing desire.

Face inching closer and closer, Inuyasha was overwhelmed by just how powerful Sesshomaru's scent was here. With one hand still wrapped around the InuYoukai's now full cock, Inuyasha pressed his nose into the soft nest of fur cradling Sesshomaru's cock and balls. Inhaling deeply, the hanyou didn't even realize he'd moaned until he felt his body forcefully thrown back upon the furs. Slightly dazed, Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered open to find his own orbs staring into the darkening crimson of Sesshomaru's.

When Sesshomaru had made the offer to his hanyou, he thought it would be solely for Inuyasha's benefit. Never before had he ever allowed any other such a privilege. For the Prince of the West, his reproductive organs were prized beyond the normal regard for such sexual pleasures. Sesshomaru contained half the components for creating the future Western heir. To damage him beyond the capacity for reproducing would be viewed as a success to many of their enemies. Therefore, no matter his knowledge of his sexual partner, none were ever allowed as close to the area housing his seed as he was now allowing Inuyasha.

Perhaps it was this reason alone that his hanyou's touch had such a great affect upon his body. Having nothing to compare it to, Sesshomaru truly did not know. What he did know was that Inuyash's increasingly bold touches were driving him mad. With his cock now at full hardness, the tip leaking with his juices, it was all Sesshomaru could do not to push his hips into that warm hand. But when he felt Inuyasha's nose buried deep between his cock and balls, the hanyou inhaling deeply of his scent and then . . . moaning . . . Sesshomaru lost what little control he'd managed to hold onto.

Eyes bleeding crimson, Sesshomaru launched his body forward, his hands pushing his submissive mate back upon the furs laid out for their rutting. Claws pressing almost to the point of pain, Sesshomaru stared down at Inuyasha and felt a desire he'd never experienced before while rutting another. Impatience blew like a raging storm through his soul, his inner youkai howling with the need to be buried deep within their mate, to finally fully claim Inuyasha as theirs.

Growling low and deep, Sesshomaru buried his nose in Inuyasha's neck, inhaling deeply. Leaning his head back and to the side, Inuyasha's body tensed at having the Prince of the West's poison laced fangs against his vulnerable flesh. Breath coming in heavy pants, the hanyou listened to his instincts and remained immobile to his dominant's touch.

Pleased by Inuyasha's response, Sesshomaru moved his lips down over his hanyou's neck, teasing over a nipple before raising up long enough to shift lower yet. In one fluid motion, Sesshomaru raised Inuyasha's hips up, his sensitive nose nestling against his submissive's damp opening. Drunk on his mate's scent, Sesshomaru's mind swam with want as his tongue darted out, lapping at Inuyasha's tight entrance.

As soon as Sesshomaru's tongue touched his hole, Inuyasha arched back, his hand clutching the furs beneath him while his eyes flew wide at the host of new sensations flooding his quivering body. Panting and tense, the hanyou didn't know what he should be feeling, but when he felt Sesshomaru's tongue pierce his body, Inuyasha gasped a surprised, "Sesshomaru!"

Chest rumbling with approval, Sesshomaru continued his assault, his powerful tongue twisting and thrusting as he savored Inuyasha's naturally produced juices while adding his own saliva to open and slicken the passage that would soon sheath his aching cock. Soon enough the pants and whines of his submissive became too much for even the InuYoukai's measured control.

Pulling back and away, Sesshomaru grabbed Inuyasha about the waist and flipped his hanyou to rest upon hands and knees. Later he would take his submissive like he had been, splayed before the Prince of the West, amber eyes glazed with lust and staring into his own bleeding ones. But for their first rut and official claiming, Sesshomaru would take Inuyasha in the traditional Inu way – from behind.

Vision consumed by the snowy-white furs below him, Inuyasha's limbs trembled as he felt Sesshomaru lean over his back, the InuYoukai's stiff cock pressing against his opening. Inuyasha had the briefest of moments to actually consider the fact that he was about to be taken, but before the thought had time to latch on, the hanyou's mind was torn into a thousand fragmented pieces as Sesshomaru pushed into him. Head snapping up, Inuyasha's mouth opened in a silent scream of pain and yet that pain was tempered by something so much deeper and earth shattering.

Covering his smaller submissive with his own body, Sesshomaru allowed the raw, possessive greed of his inner youkai its moment of claiming. In that moment, there were no words that needed spoken, only the deep thrust of his hardness pushing deep within the encompassing warmth of Inuyasha's body. Only when the Prince of the West felt his balls push up tight against his hanyou's ass was Sesshomaru finally satisfied that he was buried as deep as his submissive's body would allow.

Arching, Inuyasha's arms dropped so that he was now resting upon his forearms. Forehead touching the silky soft fur below him, the hanyou panted harshly. For what seemed like an eternity, Inuyasha stayed like that, Sesshomaru's cock buried deep within him as his mate's body lay over his own, trapping him within the InuYoukai's thundering power.

With a shudder, Sesshomaru basked in the knowledge that he was finally encased within his mate. Instantly he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he would go to whatever lengths – kill any and all that even hinted harm to his submissive. Inuyasha was his and nothing could or would ever take him from the Prince of the West. He had waited centuries to find the right mate and Inuyasha was his reward.

As pride poured through his body, Sesshomaru pulled his upper body off Inuyasha, his claws gripping his hanyou's hips as he pulled out and roughly pushed back in. The whine of sheer pleasure escaping his submissive's lips only served to fuel Sesshomaru's desire and he quickly began pounding into Inuyasha's welcoming hole. Flesh slapping, juices flowing, the Prince of the West welcomed it all.

Mouth open and gasping for air, Inuyasha was only vaguely aware of the saliva-dampened fur rubbing against the side of his cheek. Right then, there was only he and his mate and nothing else. With each thrust, shards of pleasured lightning shot through his body and all he could do was lay there, ass in the air and head pressed deep into the ground while his own heavy cock bounced against his hardened abdominals.

Sesshomaru could tell his end was coming soon – much quicker than he'd ever released before. Balls tightening, the Prince of the West felt his fangs elongate and knew this was the moment he'd been waiting for. Releasing his hanyou's hips from his sharp claws, Sesshomaru reached one arm around Inuyasha's chest while the other fisted his hanyou's aching cock. Jerking Inuyasha's body up, Sesshomaru drove his cock home one final time, his teeth striking home along his submissive's shoulder as cum began pouring in and filling up his little mate's channel.

The moment he felt Sesshomaru's fangs pierce his skin, Inuyasha howled. With warmth pulsing into his body, the hanyou's own cock erupted with white jets of seed tumbling over Sesshomaru's hand and fingers. Spent in every conceivable way, Inuyasha slumped over his dominant's arm, his body limp and sagging. Inside, Inuyasha could still feel Sesshomaru's softening cock as it shot the last of its creamy fluid home.

With his exhausted mate safely within his arms, Sesshomaru basked in the rare warmth of having something so precious to protect. Lapping the last of Inuyasha's dripping blood, the Prince of the West cleaned the mating mark he'd just made; pleased with the way it looked upon his new mate.

Sesshomaru growled low in his chest. Whispering softly, the Prince of the West gently nibbled on a lax puppydog ear. "You did well, Inuyasha. You have pleased this Sesshomaru greatly."

Drained, Inuyasha barely had the energy to lift his head enough to make the briefest of eye contact. Mind still reeling from what had just happened, the hanyou could think of nothing to say and so instead, simply closed his eyes and if possible, leaned more heavily against Sesshomaru.

Seeing the toll their rutting and mating had had on Inuyasha, Sesshomaru knew he did not want to leave the vulnerable hanyou alone, but he was already pushing tradition and what the youkai council desired by taking his mate behind the semi-privacy of the screen that now surrounded them. Should he not join in on the festive meal, it would possibly put his new mate in greater danger. Youkai of powerful positions notoriously had their pride easily wounded and sought retribution for such acts. Sesshomaru had never cared about their reactions before because he was powerful enough that he need have little fear their ill-conceived actions would actually cause him harm. But Inuyasha was a different matter entirely.

Looking down at the now slumbering hanyou held tightly within his arms, Sesshomaru knew he would not risk his submissive's wellbeing over something so trivial as his desire not to attend the celebratory dinner. At the same time, Inuyasha was in no condition to do the same and he did not wish to leave his hanyou alone anywhere within the vicinity of such vultures as the ones within this room.

Decision made, Sesshomaru reached for Inuyasha's firerat and draped it over his hanyou's body, covering his flesh from the prying eyes just beyond the flimsy paper screen surrounding them. With his hanyou cradled protectively in his arms, Sesshomaru stood, not once bothering to clean the cum from his cock and the white fur surrounding his genitals, nor did the Prince of the West wipe his mate's seed from his fingers before stepping out of their private area. Sesshomaru was far from embarrassed by the drying fluid coating both their bodies and proudly displayed the results of their coupling.

Inu no Taisho felt deep pride as well as satisfaction settle within his gut. From the noises and images they'd all been able to see, it was clear that his son had successfully claimed the young InuHanyou. Although he knew it would be decades, if not outright centuries, before it was safe for Inuyasha to be truly bred and for the next generation of Inu's to be born to the Western Lands, Inu no Taisho had begun to wonder if the day would ever come that Sesshomaru actually chose a mate. But it seemed he need not have worried. As always, his nearly perfect son had done well when choosing his submissive mate.

Swallowing down a strip of heavenly tasting fresh venison, Inu no Taisho's head jerked up as he saw Sesshomaru exit the area where he had rutted his little mate. Naked as the day he was born, the Prince of the West stood, Inuyasha wrapped tightly within the red fabric of his firerat so that only the top of his snowy-white head and the tips of his clawed toes could be seen.

Smiling brightly, the Lord of the West stood as the rest of the room quieted. "Sesshomaru, from the looks and sounds of things, am I to assume you have completed the mating?"

Snaking a hand up, Sesshomaru pulled the firerat away from Inuyasha's neck and shoulder, revealing the claiming bite he'd placed. Eyes back to their golden brilliance, Sesshomaru looked past his father and out to the kneeling youkai elite of the West. Voice deadly cold, Sesshomaru stated, "The InuHanyou, Inuyasha, is now fully claimed by the Prince of the West. Inuyasha has full mate status and any ill-will directed upon him will be seen as an attack upon this Sesshomaru."

Lips twitching, Inu no Taisho smirked at his son's possessiveness. Looking from the sleeping hanyou to his son, the Lord of the West questioned, "It appears as if you have tired out your new mate, my son." Although unsaid, Inu no Taisho was actually questioning what Sesshomaru's intentions were regarding the dinner he was expected to attend.

"Father, as you can see, my mate is in no condition to dine with us. If it would please you, I shall settle Inuyasha elsewhere and return for the celebration."

"A wise decision."

Barely acknowledging his father's words, Sesshomaru scanned the room until his eyes lit upon the ones he'd been searching for. Both Sango and Miroku needed little more than that brief eye contact to understand that they were needed.

As a servant, Kitanya had been settled at the far corner of the room, but stood and immediately began making her way to Inuyasha when she saw Miroku and Sango stand and start doing the same.

A quick glance back told Miroku that Kitanya understood and soon all three were following Sesshomaru as he carried Inuyasha from the room and began going down the many halls leading to their more protected wing of the palace. Silent along the entire walk, only the sound of swishing fabric could be heard as the group moved further and further away from the gathered youkai who'd so recently witnessed their mating.

Only when he had lowered Inuyasha onto the furs of his own room did Sesshomaru finally turn, still naked and covered in the scent of his recent rutting. Looking to Sango and Miroku, Sesshomaru's eyes were hard. "You will stay and guard the hanyou while I return to the festive meal."

Miroku was beginning to get the distinct impression that his job within the palace was in the process of changing. Without a doubt, the monk liked Inuyasha and was more than pleased Prince Sesshomaru had seen fit to mate the hanyou. However, Miroku had little doubt that his new, unofficial position put his life more squarely upon the chopping block. The monk knew that should anything befall Inuyasha, heads would roll, his most likely the first to hit the floor.

Contemplating his fate, Miroku was surprised when Sango answered first, her voice void of any concerns she might have. "As you wish, my prince."

Evidently not satisfied with only Sango's answer, Sesshomaru turned his cold gaze upon Miroku. Sighing, the monk's shoulders slumped before his whole body relaxed into his heels. "I think by now it goes without saying that I'll do what I can to ensure Inuyasha's safety."

For a moment, it looked as if Sesshomaru wanted to say something in response, but finally settled on an almost imperceptible inclination of his head. Turning from the monk and huntress, the Prince of the West focused his attention on Kitanya. "Do not clean the hanyou."

Bowing to hide her smile, Kitanya removed any emotion from her face before raising her head and answering, "As you would like."

Turning his attention back to his new mate, Sesshomaru's softened expression was hidden by the lengths of his silvery-white hair. Ignoring all others within the room, the Prince of the West strode toward his own room to redress before returning to the celebratory meal.

Miroku sighed as he looked to Sango. "I guess this means we won't be getting any of that sinfully delicious smelling venison."

Smacking the monk upon the back of his head, Sango turned toward the door as she headed for the hall. "You should feel honored that the prince has trusted us with Inuyasha's safety."

"Honored, huh?" Scratching his chin, Miroku thought he'd rather be feasting on fresh meat and honey sweetened bread. Add in some sake and the world would be blissfully perfect. With a shrug of his shoulders, the monk gave Kitanya a wink before following Sango's path. Together they would guard the hall leading to the hanyou's chambers.

Now alone with Inuyasha, Kitanya crept forward, a soft smile on her face as she bent and pulled the furs up closer around the hanyou's chin. Raising a hand, the bear submissive moved to stroke one of Inuyasha's puppydog ears but thought better of it. Sesshomaru had ordered her not to bathe him and that more than implied the prince wanted his smell coating his new mate. Although she had little doubt the InuYoukai trusted her, Kitanya also had little doubt that he would be none to happy to have her scent mingling with his own.

Rising off her haunches, Kitanya gave one last satisfied look before going to the small adjacent room that had been designated as her sleeping quarters. Most likely Inuyasha would desire some privacy when he woke.

::::::::::

Body and mind exhausted, Inuyasha slept for well over two hours. Stirring out of his slumber, the hanyou came awake by degrees, feeling more confused and fuzzy than usual. Ears flipping back and forth, he could hear nothing but the sound of his own steady heartbeat. With warmth surrounding him, Inuyasha cautiously inhaled and felt his heart momentarily stutter at the heavy, cloying scent of Sesshomaru permeating his entire being.

By the time he'd taken his second breath, the memories of the mating ceremony and more importantly, the actually mating, came flooding back into his mind. Ears now flattening deep within his hair, the hanyou curled in on himself, the ache in his lower back a painful reminder of just how hard he'd been recently ridden.

Embarrassed and feeling far too uncertain, Inuyasha's amber eyes finally opened. The scent of Sesshomaru was so strong that he thought for sure his new mate was there with him but the reality was far from what he'd thought. Pushing off the furs covering his body, the hanyou sat up while ignoring the protest of his aching ass and hips. Quickly scanning the empty room, Inuyasha felt the weight of his solitude settle deep within his chest. Sesshomaru wasn't there.

Inuyasha bent his head, his mind berating his heart for thinking that after getting what he wanted, that the ice-prick would stick around. Sesshomaru had done what was necessary – what had to be done to complete the mating and Inuyasha had little doubt that, just like all the other youkai Sesshomaru had fucked over the years, his rut with Inuyasha had meant nothing. Inuyasha meant nothing - nothing more than a means to an end.

Growling low, Inuyasha pushed such wistful thoughts from his brain. He'd had this silent discussion with himself on a number of occasions. Just because Sesshomaru's cock in his ass had been damn near mind blowing for him sure as hell didn't indicate that it had meant anything like that to his mate. Inuyasha remembered Sesshomaru telling him that he wouldn't rut any other now that he was mated, and the hanyou believed that. He also believed that Sesshomaru would most likely be satisfied with fucking him every now and again, but that's all it would be – a way to relieve tension and one day sire an heir.

Forcing his body to stand, Inuyasha felt his cheeks darken when he felt the warmth of Sesshomaru's seed leak down his thighs, his flushed cheeks burning all the brighter when he saw Kitanya enter the room.

Quickly reaching for the furs at his feet, Inuyasha desperately tried to cover himself. Flustered and feeling wholly insecure, the hanyou scowled. "What the fuck are you doin' here?"

Only momentarily taken aback by the hostility in Inuyasha's voice, Kitanya gave a small bow. "Lord Sesshomaru asked me to stay with you and see to whatever needs you might have."

Feeling guilty for lashing out, Inuyasha looked down and away. "-Keh, the only damn need I've got is for a bath and to get dressed."

Kitanya's eyebrows shot up. "I'm sorry, but Prince Sesshomaru expressly told me not to bathe you."

"Well then I guess it's a damn good thing that I didn't ask _you_ to fuckin' give me a bath." Wrapping the fur more closely around his hips, Inuyasha began making his way toward the bathing chamber as he desperately tried to hide the limp from his gait.

"I . . . I don't think that was the full scope of his wishes, I – "

"Damn-it," Inuyasha turned, his eyes narrowed and lips pulled back in a snarl. "If he really didn't want me to take a gods be damned bath then he could have stayed and made sure his stink was on me as long as he damn well wanted. But since that ain't the case then I'm gonna go scrub until I'm bloody."

Brown eyes wide, Kitanya felt the hurt ringing through Inuyasha's words. Something was wrong but she wasn't sure what it was. "Inuyasha, I – "

"-Keh, don't worry about it. If you really wanna do somethin' then you can go get me somethin' to eat. We'll just tell the asshole that I asked ya to do that and by the time ya got back I was already in the water."

Kitanya lowered her head while filtering through the words she'd heard, her head snapping up as she thought she might understand what was wrong. "Inuyasha, Prince Sesshomaru had to go back to the celebratory meal. You were in no condition to attend so he brought you here for your own safety. Miroku and Sango are guarding the hall while he is gone. I do not believe he would have left you otherwise."

Turning away, Inuyasha only shrugged his shoulders while muttering a too quiet, "Whatever." To the hanyou, Sesshomaru's reasons weren't really that important. Just like always, once a youkai or human got what they wanted from him, they left. It was a pattern as old as Inuyasha himself.

With his back now fully turned on Kitanya, Inuyasha waved a hand in the air as he continued walking toward the bathing chamber. "Whatever you can find will be fine. I ain't that picky when it comes to food."

Kitanya watched Inuyasha's hunched back pass through the door leading to the hotspring fed room. Eyes pinched with worry, she could do nothing but as the hanyou had asked. Walking from the room, Kitanya made her way down the hall, bowing to both Miroku and Sango as she passed them. She would do what she could and right now that entailed finding Inuyasha the choicest of cooked meats and the sweetest of breads to sate his appetite.

Well and truly alone, Inuyasha sunk into the steamy waters, allowing his body to relax while it healed the puncture marks on his hips and his used hole. Hands shaky, the hanyou's fingers drifted down to his nether regions, gingerly feeling for any damage. Pulling away, Inuyasha shuddered as he thought of what exactly had been in there just a short time ago and how damn much he'd liked it. Of course it had hurt like hell at first, but that ache and burn was just the prelude to near blinding pleasure.

Face flushed from both the warmth of the water and the thoughts in his mind, Inuyasha's fingers ghosted over the area on his flesh that Sesshomaru had sunk his fangs into. The mark should lose its redness but would remain, unhealed, until the time of his death. Light as air, the tips of the hanyou's claws brushed over that sensitive area, his whole body shuddering with sensation. Gasping, Inuyasha quickly withdrew his hand and hoped to whatever god was listening that it wouldn't always be so damn sensitive.

Mindlessly reaching for the soap, Inuyasha caught a glimpse of his arms and frowned at the bruising he found there. Upon closer examination, he found it wasn't just his arms but almost every damn part of his body was tainted a purplish blue hue, claw-marks littering the bruised flesh here and there. Frown deepening; the hanyou couldn't really remember Sesshomaru being that rough with him, but doubted he'd of even noticed if the jackass cut off an arm while plowing his ass.

Pulling his arms closer, Inuyasha never realized he was hugging his own body. Staring down at a particularly dark bruise, the hanyou thought he'd done his job fairly well. He'd been a good submissive and taken what his dominant had given and done it without complaint. Hell, he'd probably begged the bastard to do it and most likely would again in the future. Oh yes, Inuyasha had done his job well. He had provided a wonderful hole for Sesshomaru to use and use it he had – used it and then left.

Suddenly feeling filthy, Inuyasha took to scrubbing his body, coming precariously close to his earlier threat to Kitanya that he intended to wash until his skin was bloody. Although he didn't take it quite that far, the hanyou did repeat the process enough times that his food was well into going from cool to cold by the time he exited the bath.

 _Ahhh . . . many of you may be wanting to throw something at me again. Yes, they're mated, but still lots of misunderstandings abounding. Don't worry, they'll figure things out, it just might take a bit of time for it to happen, and maybe a little push here and there from their friends._

 _I hope you all hang in there there through the angsty stuff. As I often say, I like a happy ending and thins will get happier :-)_

 _Hope you all have a good week. Next posting should be on Sunday._

 _lunamist_


	15. Chapter 15

_Hey everyone . . . I got home from work at a decent time tonight and thought I'd go ahead and post an extra chapter for this story as well. I know a lot of you are waiting for when Sessh and Inu get all this miscommunication business out of the way, unfortunately it will take a few more chapters, but I understand your desire and to that end, thought I'd get another chapter up so we can get there sooner rather than later._

 _This is also a combined chapter (in other words, it was once two and I put them together) so it is a bit longer. Hope you all enjoy the extra update._

 _Chapter 15 . . ._

Sesshomaru sat as expected, his face a blank mask of apathy as he listened to the youkai around him, their words full of praise and well wishes. If only words spoke the truth then perhaps the Prince of the West would not be so irritated. Well, that was probably not completely true. The only way Sesshomaru would regain any type of good humor was if Inuyasha was back at his side, where his mate belonged.

Somewhere in the distance, Sesshomaru heard the booming laughter of one of the youkai upon his father's council and felt his own teeth painfully grind as thoughts of killing shot to the fore of his mind. He hated this nonsense. Although he knew it was necessary, Sesshomaru found youkai politics the surest form of evil placating the world. Had it been up to his inner beast, most of those within this room would have been slaughtered long ago.

Consciously shutting off all the extraneous chatter around him, Sesshomaru thought back on his mate and his own reaction to their rutting. Never before had he had such a reaction to being inside another. Everything about filling his submissive mate had seemed different to any other previous encounter and Sesshomaru could not fathom the reason for it. He knew that, as a dominant, it was his duty to look after and protect his submissive and so it was not surprising that the great urge to keep Inuyasha safe permeated his being so much. What was surprising was how much he desired to not only keep his hanyou physically well, but to see to it that Inuyasha was . . . happy.

Shifting slightly in his seat, Sesshomaru internally frowned when he realized his cock was half-hard. He'd just spent himself within Inuyasha's body and already he desired more. Never before had that happened. In the past, he had rutted to satisfy a need and once that need had been met, he had little interest in the one he'd just used. But now, as he sat within a room full of lustful, beautiful youkai, all Sesshomaru wanted was to be buried deeply within his hanyou. But even that was too much of a simplification. What the Prince of the West really wanted was to smell Inuyasha, to hear his hanyou's voice and touch his skin. Down to the deepest part of his bones Sesshomaru wanted his senses to be full of nothing but his submissive mate.

Sesshomaru sat in silence, his mind fixated upon the peaceful, sleeping form Inuyasha had struck as he'd lain beneath the furs within his room. How the Prince of the West wished he were there with him, curled around the smaller body of his submissive mate, Inuyasha's soft puppydog ears tickling his nose . . .

Eyes drifting toward his son, Inu no Taisho continued his conversation with a lesser youkai lord, the one he was speaking to having no knowledge that he had anything less than Inu no Taisho's full attention. This ability was something the Lord of the West counted as one of his greatest skills. At one time he'd thought Sesshomaru had inherited this useful tool, but to his dismay, he soon found that although it appeared as if his son was paying attention, the truth was that Sesshomaru was only good at feigning his interest and often was completely ignorant as to what was being said. Looking down, the edges of Inu no Taisho's lips pulled down slightly while staring at a babbling Jaken, the little kappa's voice an irritating grate to all but Sesshomaru. Grunting low, the Lord of the West thought it most likely that his son did not even know Jaken was speaking.

With one ear still on his ongoing conversation, Inu no Taisho studied his son and thought once more how eerie it was that even after all these years, he still could not decipher Sesshomaru's thoughts or emotions. His heir's ability to conceal his inner thoughts was a useful gift, but a frustrating one as well.

Finally excusing himself from the petty lord at his side, Inu no Taisho leaned closer to Sesshomaru. "I am assuming Miroku and Sango are watching over Inuyasha."

Eyes barely flicking in the direction of his father, Sesshomaru felt an irrational irritation stir his soul and answered a clipped, "Of course."

Inu no Taisho's face was carefully blank as he digested the unusual note of distain lacing his son's voice. Brows furrowing, the Lord of the West became concerned something was wrong. "You are displeased about something?" Inu no Taisho certainly hoped not. Even if the hanyou hadn't been the son of his lost brother, the Lord of the West would have liked him anyways. Inuyasha had spunk and was probably one of the only creatures within the world that didn't seem frightened of Sesshomaru.

Magenta striped eyelids closing, Sesshomaru took a moment to control the surge of anger that flared within him. Not since he was a child had he found it so difficult to keep the emotion from his face. By the time his golden iris's came back into view, Sesshomaru had almost succeeded in his mission. "No father."

Grabbing a sweet roll, Inu no Taisho popped the tasty bread into his mouth, his mind contemplating the obvious lie as he chewed his food. "Hiding your emotions does not always hide the lie, Sesshomaru."

Fists clenched, Sesshomaru took in a deep breath before fully facing his father. "I do not believe it is an appropriate time to discuss such matters."

Inu no Taisho's eyes drifted around the room. All there seemed to be engaged in conversations of their own and appeared to be paying little attention to them. By this late in the evening, the sake had been flowing heavy enough that almost all present were well into drunkenness. Of course, looks could be deceiving, and . . . there was still the kappa. "The others are long gone to their cups. Get rid of Jaken and we may talk freely."

"Jaken? I had not realized he was nearby."

Rolling his eyes, Inu no Taisho snatched another strip of venison before pointing to the still babbling kappa. "Truly, you have a gift."

Without looking in the direction his father had pointed, Sesshomaru ordered, "Jaken, leave."

Sesshomaru didn't need to look to the floor to see that his order had been obeyed. Jaken was a loyal irritant.

Relatively alone now, Inu no Taisho looked to his son, a single eyebrow raised in expectation. For several moments, he thought Sesshomaru would keep his silence, but the Lord of the West had long ago learned that with his stoic son, patience was not only a virtue but also a necessity. And, just like so many other times, his son did not disappoint.

"You asked earlier if I was displeased with something. I am only displeased with the fact that I must be here and not with my mate."

Downing a cup of sake, Inu no Taisho thought over his son's statement, dissecting every word as he looked for the deeper meanings they contained. It was no secret that Sesshomaru disliked youkai functions, especially when the supposed elite of their lot was around. His son had begrudgingly attended such functions over the years and so Sesshomaru would assume his father understood this. So, given that this was not such a revelation, Inu no Taisho focused in on the second part – that Sesshomaru would rather be with his mate – a youkai he'd just rutted. Dominant youkai were very protective of intended mates because they could still be stolen, but once the final mating was complete, such possessive needs immediately dissipated. True, they still sought to keep their submissive safe and well, but the desire to be in immediate proximity faded quickly. It certainly had where he and Sesshomaru's mother had been concerned.

Leaning back, Inu no Taisho rolled his sake cup within his clawed fingers, a small smirk threatening the corners of his mouth. "I see." But the real question was whether or not Sesshomaru did as well.

"This desire should not still be this strong." Shifting his weight ever so slightly, Sesshomaru found his half-hard cock irritating.

"No, it shouldn't, at least, not for most. But perhaps you and Inuyasha are not like most mated youkai."

Head cocked slightly to the side, Sesshomaru's silvery-white hair fell over one shoulder. "Why would that be? Does his hanyou status have some impact on our mating?"

Inu no Taisho could only softly chuckle. "I doubt that." Seeing that his son did not find the humor in the situation, the Lord of the West sighed deeply. "Sesshomaru, has it occurred to you that there are more reasons why you picked Inuyasha besides his suitability as a breeding mate?"

"The hanyou's ability to be bear young is necessary but hardly the only reason this Sesshomaru chose him." Sneering, Sesshomaru thought of all the youkai who'd been thrown his way over the years, although most were females, there were a scattering of male's as well – all of them older than Inuyasha and able to be bred immediately. But he had wanted none of them. "Even as a half-breed, Inuyasha is superior. He cares little about my status as heir of the Western Lands and sees power and position as necessity, not a goal to aim for. And as for honor. . . my hanyou has more of that in a single eyelash than most of those within this room." Mind drifting back to how Inuyasha's body had felt wrapped around his length, Sesshomaru's eyes unconsciously turned crimson, his voice soft and deep with something Inu no Taisho had never before heard from his son. "His scent . . . "

At the silent pause, Inu no Taisho questioned, "What about Inuyasha's scent?"

Taking a deep inhale, Sesshomaru seemed to be trying to pull the hanyou's scent from across the palace. "His scent is peace. When I breathe him . . . there is . . . everything is well."

Inu no Taisho's mouth parted, his lips falling open at the truth and revelation in those simple words – words that his son did not yet fully understand. The bond Sesshomaru had found was so much more than a typical mating one. No, the bond his son and nephew were forming was so much deeper, so much more powerful, and so much more dangerous. Youkai were power hungry, jealous, and covetous creatures and all that and more was true when it came to Sesshomaru. All these emotions his son had poured into Inuyasha, but the attachment ran deeper – soul deep. Many a mated youkai respected and cherished their mates, but few ever gained the kind of peace with them that Sesshomaru was describing.

Looking down momentarily, Inu no Taisho contemplated this new revelation. He had wanted his son to find what he was missing in life and evidently Sesshomaru had done just that. In time, his son would learn that Inuyasha's presence – his essence and scent – not only calmed his youkai but would also lend him everything else in life he required: power, clarity of thought, decisiveness, focus – all of this and more would be at Sesshomaru's disposal as long as Inuyasha was there, but should the hanyou disappear . . . should death claim the young submissive . . . his son would most likely dissolve into madness.

Inu no Taisho felt his teeth clench. He would not look at the negatives, only the positives. With Inuyasha by his side, Sesshomaru would make a nearly unbeatable force. Inuyasha was a treasure to the Western Lands and he would make sure that his hanyou nephew lived to fulfill his roll. He would not loose Inuyasha the way he lost Tsuyoshi nor would he loose his own son to the madness Inuyasha's death would cause.

Inuyasha was strong and had survived on his own when everything in the world had conspired to do just the opposite. No, the hanyou would not die easily and Inu no Taisho almost felt sorry for any whom attempted such a feet. Almost.

Refilling his sake cup, Inu no Taisho brought the vessel to his lips, the grin on his face one of immense joy. Taking a sip, the Lord of the West looked to his stoic son and thought he might be able to see a hint of confusion lacing Sesshomaru's brittle features. Most likely his son had no idea what any of this meant and it was not his place to interfere, not unless Sesshomaru specifically asked him for his advice. For better or worse, his son needed to find the answers on his own and for an emotionally stunted creature like Sesshomaru, most likely that was going to take some time. Inu no Taisho just hoped Inuyasha had the patience to put up with it.

Setting down his cup, the Lord of the West saw that their peace was just about to be disrupted by yet another pandering council member and could only lean in and whisper a quiet, "Bear with it, dinner is almost over and then you can be with your mate again."

Sesshomaru mentally frowned as he watched Hakudoshi walk forward, the spider youkai's pleasantly blank expression typically deceiving. Forcing thoughts of Inuyasha from his mind, Sesshomaru placed his full attention on the petite, almost skeletal form approaching. After Naraku's betrayal, Sesshomaru had wanted to expel every spider youkai from the Western Lands, but his father had decided differently and most likely more wisely. Inu no Taisho had gone with the old adage of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Sesshomaru thought that perhaps you should allow your friends to live and slaughter all those thought to be enemies. It was a notion his mother would have been proud of.

Inu no Taisho didn't need the visual cues to know his son had tensed. Sesshomaru, more than any other had felt Naraku's betrayal and would not soon forget nor did Inu no Taisho think his son should forget. Sesshomaru had learned a hard and painful lesson that had ended in the death of the malevolent spider youkai and the building of yet another wall around the Prince of the West's soul.

Putting on his most placating smile, Inu no Taisho nodded his head and greeted, "Hakudoshi, how good of you to come . . . "

::::::::::

After eating his cold meal, Inuyasha crawled back into his furs, the scent of Sesshomaru still strongly present and irritatingly reassuring. Burying his face deep down, he desperately tried shutting off his mind so that he might find a modicum of peace.

Inuyasha's light sleep was interrupted by the quiet hush of a door sliding open and the strong scent of Sesshomaru's presence. Heart rate even and breathing steady, the hanyou feigned sleep while hopefully waiting for his mate to do . . . something. But just like almost every other time in his life, Inuyasha was disappointed when he once more heard the hiss of the door as it slid closed.

Eyelids clamped down tight, Inuyasha's clawed fingers gripped the white furs in his grasp, his heart pounding with the pain of being left alone once more.

::::::::::

Awake long before the sun slipped over the horizon, Inuyasha sat out on the balcony overlooking the turbulent Elspartin Sea. Behind him he heard Kitanya and soon enough he was being called in to eat breakfast.

Staring down at the plate of food, Inuyasha thought back to the many times in his life when he would have killed for this kind of a steady food supply. Sure, Kaede had made sure his belly was at least contented if not fully satisfied, but to realize that it would be like this for the rest of his life – now that was something the hanyou found difficult to wrap his head around.

By the time almost every morsel found its way into the hanyou's belly, Inuyasha's ears perked at the sound of the door separating his room from Sesshomaru's sliding open. One whiff of the air told him it was really his mate and so he continued shoving food into his mouth, absolutely refusing to look up into Sesshomaru's eyes.

Walking into his submissive's room, the Prince of the West was hit with the same absence of scent that he'd noticed the night before – his own seed. Cold golden eyes drifting to the kneeling Kitanya, Sesshomaru doubted it was the bear youkai's doing. He'd given Kitanya an order and she had yet to indicate any type of rebellion. That being said, Sesshomaru had little doubt as to where Kitanya's loyalty truly laid. Most likely Inuyasha had been the one to instigate bathing and the bear submissive had simply done as her master commanded.

Knowing it would do little good to punish Kitanya, Sesshomaru simply looked to the bear youkai and ordered, "Kitanya, you are dismissed."

Touching her nose to the floor, Kitanya gave a hesitant look toward Inuyasha before scurrying away leaving the hanyou alone with his new mate.

Swallowing the last of his breakfast, Inuyasha pushed the plates away before folding his arms over his chest. "You always gotta be so damn rude with her?"

"We have had this discussion previously and I see no reason to revisit it."

Teeth gritted, Inuyasha turned his head to the side. Of course he'd known it would do little good bringing up the topic again, but he was in a foul mood this morning and didn't really give a damn about pissing Sesshomaru off.

Silently contemplative, Sesshomaru stared down at his obviously irritated mate and did not understand why Inuyasha appeared so defensive this morning, especially given how compliant and responsive he'd been during their first rutting. The fact that his hanyou had seen the need to bathe and remove Sesshomaru's scent from his body was also a sign that something was wrong.

Moving closer, the Prince of the West sat before his new mate. This close, Inuyasha's scent was even more powerful and while it soothed Sesshomaru, the tensing of his hanyou's shoulders was evident that his own did not do the same. Concerned, Sesshomaru questioned, "Inuyasha, are you well? Were you injured during our rutting?"

Inuyasha's cheeks immediately flushed crimson. "-Keh, I took it just fine and there ain't nothin' damaged."

His hanyou's answer did not ease Sesshomaru's concern. "I informed Kitanya that I did not wish for you to bathe. Did she fail to inform you of this?"

Attention now fully garnered, Inuyasha's head snapped towards Sesshomaru, his own amber eyes narrowed with irritation. "She told me so don't you even think about punishin' her. I asked her to go and get me some food and while she was gone I did whatever the fuck I wanted and that included takin' a bath. I was all sticky and shit and didn't wanna sleep smellin' like some damn – " eyes wide, Inuyasha's words were cut off as his body was slammed down on the floor, Sesshomaru's crimson orbs flashing before his hazy vision.

Hearing Inuyasha's words and the implication that his mate didn't want the scent of his seed upon him infuriated Sesshomaru's youkai and without thought of the consequences, it roared to the fore. Voice low and barely above a growl, Sesshomaru's elongated fangs scented the air with poison. "You are our mate and will relish our scent inside you." Burying his nose in the junction of Inuyasha's neck, Sesshomaru licked over the mating bite he'd placed the night before, his youkai somewhat mollified by the shiver of pleasure that coursed down his submissive's spine. "You are ours, Inuyasha. Should we wish it, we will cover you in our spend and scent and you will be proud to be so marked."

Eyes closed, Inuyasha hated how Sesshomaru's actions made him feel. He wanted to get angry, to punch and claw until he was free, but the overwhelming scent and power radiating off his dominant mate was doing just the opposite. Instead of fighting to get free, Inuyasha felt his limbs slacken with submission, his head turning to the side to give the bastard even more access to one of his most vulnerable locations.

Satisfied with Inuyasha's response, Sesshomaru's youkai receded, leaving the Prince of the West more in control of his own actions. Pulling back slightly, the InuYoukai sniffed at his hanyou again. To be sure, there was fear there, but beyond and overriding that fear was desire, need, and heavenly submission. Fully releasing Inuyasha, Sesshomaru sat back and waited for his hanyou to gain control of his faculties enough to recover.

Panting - shivers wracked Inuyasha's body and it took him a few moments to realize Sesshomaru was no longer towering over him, pushing him back onto the floor. Forcing his breathing to slow, the hanyou took in deeper breaths that were not so toxically laced with his mate's scent. Mind clearing, Inuyasha finally pushed himself into a sitting position, his eyes tentatively going to Sesshomaru as one of his own clawed hands came up to rub his mating mark.

With his heart still fluttering erratically, Inuyasha was dismayed to find Sesshomaru sitting, calm and cool and acting as if the previous moments were nothing but the hanyou's imagination. It was like the bastard had some kind of switch he could flick on and off at will.

As for Sesshomaru, he was not quite so calm and collected as Inuyasha perceived him to be. Little did either of them know that it would only take a few short months for his hanyou to be able to see through his practiced facades, but for now, Inuyasha believed the lie his facial expressions told.

Unsure what to do or say, Inuyasha sat, staring at the perfect image his dominant mate struck as Sesshomaru oh so serenely poured himself a cup of tea from the pot Kitanya had brought in earlier.

Sipping at the tepid fluid, Sesshomaru took a moment to collect his thoughts. He'd come here for a reason, well, at least more of a reason than simply needing to see his mate. "If you are truly well, then there is little reason why you can not begin your lessons today."

Mind whirling, Inuyasha tried to wrap his brain around the change in topic. "W-what? What the fuck are you talkin' about now?"

"To this Sesshomaru's knowledge, your education regarding youkai practices and politics has been insignificant. As my mate, you will be required to converse and attend functions where this knowledge shall be invaluable."

Shifting, Inuyasha stared down at his clawed hands. "I ain't dumb."

"I did not imply that you were, only that you have not had the opportunities that you should have and that these gaps in knowledge will need to be filled. Truly, Inuyasha, I am counting on the fact that you appear to be a very quick learner for there are several things you need to know and understand with relative haste."

"Oh." Scratching behind an ear, Inuyasha finally looked back up. "So . . . what am I gonna be doin', sittin' inside all day while some stuffy old hag drones on and on about how great youkai are?"

Sesshomaru almost smirked. Lady Avietty would be more than just a little annoyed at the description his hanyou had just unknowingly made. "Your instructor will be the same that taught me, her name is Avietty and she is very old and wise but I would caution you to never speak of her in such terms. I assure you, the Lady Avietty can inflict great pain when she deems the occasion appropriate."

Inuyasha only huffed. "Great. Do I getta fight back or do I gotta be all noble and shit?"

Now Sesshomaru did smirk. "You may attempt to do so, but I can not say I recommend it." The Prince of the West could see the gears of his mate's mind working and found his earlier statement supported. Inuyasha was a most intelligent creature and his interactions with his teachers would be . . . interesting if not entertaining.

"Although I do not recommend instigating a physical fight with Lady Avietty, as part of your training, you will also become a student of Norim's mate, Masaru."

Ears instantaneously perking up and forward, Inuyasha's eyes went wide. "Masaru? But isn't he the leader of the Western Lands military? Why the fuck would he train me?"

"Inuyasha, do you not yet realize your importance to the Western Lands?"

Lowering his head, Inuyasha had foolishly hoped that the words at the end of that sentence had been that he was important to Sesshomaru and not the Lands he ruled. When was he going to get it through his thick skull that the only reason the jackass had mated him was to produce an heir? Time and time again Inuyasha kept getting his hopes up and yet he was repeatedly disappointed.

Clearing his throat, the hanyou rubbed a finger under his nose. "Yeah, okay. I guess you just wanna make sure I don't get killed too soon."

At the mere mention of his hanyou dying, Sesshomaru's youkai flared enough that Inuyasha turned wide confused eyes toward him. Pushing down his enraged inner beast, Sesshomaru answered, "You will not speak so cavalierly of your life. And, yes, the training is designed to make you as difficult to both injure and mortally wound as possible. The skills you have taught yourself are admirable, but Masaru will be able to refine those abilities. He is a master at learning ones strengths and weaknesses and will point out both to you. When he is unavailable, the Lady Sango has readily agreed to aid in your training."

Nodding once, Inuyasha couldn't help the spike of excitement he felt at the thought of getting real battle training. Sesshomaru was right in that most of what he knew he'd taught himself or picked up from sparing with Kouga. The mangy wolf had even told him once that part of the reason he liked fighting with him was that Inuyasha was so damn unpredictable.

Thinking back through the list of names, Inuyasha was also struck by the fact that he'd already met two out of three of the youkai Sesshomaru had chosen. Of course, it had been Sango and Miroku that had guarded and walked him to the mating ceremony, but the hanyou also remembered that Masaru had been one of the ones placed as sentry during the ceremony itself. Obviously these were youkai his mate trusted.

More at ease and silently pleased that he had something to do – a goal to achieve, Inuyasha felt his muscles relax as he leaned back on his hands. "Okay, but I gotta say that trainin' my body sounds a hell of a lot more fun than sittin' in a room learnin' about youkai squabblin'."

"Of that, you and I are of agreement, however, many battles are won with words, not with death and destruction, no matter how much I might wish it otherwise."

Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah, you kind of strike me as the 'kill now, ask questions later', kind."

"Indeed," Sesshomaru answered while standing. "I will send Lady Avietty for you later this morning. This should afford you enough time to clean and prepare yourself for her arrival. Your afternoon will be spent with Masaru."

Inuyasha wasn't really sure just how much _preparations_ he needed to make before meeting this Avietty lady, but he figured Kitanya would most likely know about all that stuff. That mentally settled, the hanyou merely shrugged and offered a quick, "Whatever."

Satisfied things were settled and even more pleased that Inuyasha did not seem opposed the ideas of training both his mind and body, Sesshomaru turned to leave, stopping as his clawed fingertips touched the edge of the door. Without turning, the Prince of the West let loose a little more of his youkai power and scent, the sudden hiss of breath from his hanyou proof that Inuyasha had taken notice. "Inuyasha, in the future, if this Sesshomaru orders you not to remove his scent, you are to heed such orders. There are . . . reasons behind such requests that should not be so callously disregarded."

Still sitting upon the floor, Inuyasha watched Sesshomaru's long, silvery-white hair as it casually slid over one shoulder, the twitching of mokomoko making those elegant strands drift apart. With those parting words, the Prince of the West disappeared behind the door separating their rooms, leaving a confused and irritatingly aroused InuHanyou in his wake.

::::::::::

Inuyasha eased his sore body down into the hotspring fed bathwater. Grunting, the hanyou shifted his position and felt the motion radiate from the tip of his spine to the base of his head. Leaning back, he let the heat of the water relax his tortured muscles; a sigh of contentment whispering through his barely parted lips.

Standing just outside the paper door, Kitanya knew Inuyasha liked his privacy for his baths, but she remained close at hand, just in case she was needed. Each day he spent with Masaru ended similarly, although she thought today might be a little worse than normal. Like everything else the hanyou seemed to do, he did it all the way. If Masaru were willing to train him, then Inuyasha would work his hardest and drain every last bit of knowledge he could from the fierce tiger youkai.

Hearing another grunt of pain, Kitanya questioned, "Inuyasha, do you wish me to ask Healer Norim for any ointments?"

"Fuck no. This ain't nothin' and you don't need to stand by the damn door, Kitanya."

Smiling to herself, Kitanya could have guessed Inuyasha's response before she asked, but had thought it her duty to do so anyway. Completely ignoring his request that she go somewhere else, the bear submissive sat down beside the door, leaning against the wall. Chances were that Inuyasha would be in there for a while tonight.

Ears perked and listening, Inuyasha was well aware that Kitanya hadn't gone anywhere. In fact, he was pretty damn sure she'd just sat down to get more comfortable. Letting out a deep sigh, the hanyou knew it was pointless to protest further. The damn female was far more stubborn than he'd first imagined and fussed over him more than most mothers did, not that he was complaining. Not really.

Muscles finally lax enough to allow more movement, Inuyasha brought a hand up, reaching for the soap. Clenching his tattered claws around the sliver of scented goodness, the hanyou thought back on his training and frowned. True to what Sesshomaru had told him, Lady Avietty was sharp in both tongue and claw and he'd learned quickly that staying on her good side was his best option for living a more pain free life. Although, that thought process was most likely futile when he thought of the poundings Masaru was giving him.

Gripping the sliver of soap tighter cramped his already worn forearm muscles and Inuyasha gritted his teeth against the pain. He'd told Masaru not to go easy on him and the massive tiger youkai had taken him at his word. Besides Kouga, Inuyasha had never fought another youkai just to learn and practice, or in the case of the damned wolf, just for fun. For the hanyou, fighting other youkai had almost always been a matter of life or death. True, Masaru wasn't out to kill him, but if one didn't know that, they'd think that was his goal.

After sparing with the tiger youkai these past two weeks, Inuyasha was beginning to believe that he'd either been extremely lucky all these long years of his life, or he'd fought the dumbest youkai on the planet. Many of his previous battles had found him barely alive and now Inuyasha was wondering if he shouldn't have been dead years earlier.

Leaning his head back again, one of Inuyasha's arms came up, his hand slapping the water in frustration. No matter how he came at Masaru, the damn youkai batted him away as if he was nothing more than an irritating flea. Even when he did manage to get close enough to make a strike, Masaru did some kind of move where the hanyou's attacks were thwarted. While InuHanyou blood coated the grass, there was only a trickle of tiger blood to join its ranks. Each and every night he went to sleep contemplating new forms of attack, only to have those fail almost as badly as his very first attempt. It was frustrating and exhilarating all at the same time.

Forcing his aching body to move, Inuyasha began cleaning his skin, washing away dried blood, dirt and debris from all the times he landed on his ass in the field. Eyes closed in memory; the hanyou felt heat fill his cheeks. Each day, Sesshomaru came and watched, maybe not all of his training, but a fair portion of it. The damn ice-prick would just stand there with only the wind touching his regal form. Sesshomaru's cold gaze would follow his each and every move – every blow landed, every drop of blood spilled, and every time his body collided with the ground. It was, in a word, embarrassing.

Not once had the Prince of the West intervened. He'd stood there and let Masaru beat the shit out of him and never even flinched. Inuyasha wasn't sure if he should be pissed or pleased. Sesshomaru had said repeatedly that he would protect him and Inuyasha had retorted just as many times that he didn't need his protection for a gods be damned thing. Truth be told, if the bastard did step into the middle of one of his spars with Masaru, Inuyasha would be livid and wouldn't hesitate to tell him that.

And then there was the fact that this was the only time Inuyasha had actually seen Sesshomaru since the morning after their mating. Worn out from both his intellectual and physical battles, the hanyou fell asleep quickly but old habits die hard and no matter how safe he was now, Inuyasha was still a light sleeper and often heard Sesshomaru come into his room in the wee hours of the morning. The jackass would only stay for a few moments and leave just as quietly as he'd come. Never speaking a word, only breathing deeply for a few precious moments before heading back to his own rooms.

Exhausted and confused, the hanyou pulled his body from the bathwater, toweling off the remaining moisture and heading back into his room. Sliding the door to the side, he wasn't surprised to see Kitanya kneeling on the floor. With a shake of his head, Inuyasha pointed toward the room the bear submissive stayed in and said, "As ya can see, I ain't dead and not in jeopardy of that happin' tonight so you can get on to bed and leave me alone."

Smiling, Kitanya gave a final bow before scurrying off, both of them settling in for the night as Inuyasha once more thought of different ways he could get through Masaru's defenses.

::::::::::

Sesshomaru almost had a smile on his face as he left Lady Avietty's chambers. The old owl youkai was as sharp as ever and had gotten her talons in Inuyasha with the same type of speed as she had with him when the Prince of the West was a pup. Few garnered the type of respect Sesshomaru had for Avietty and he was pleased she had agreed to teach his new mate. What pleased him even more was that the old owl youkai not only liked Inuyasha, but also found him to be just as intelligent as Sesshomaru had suspected. Although she would hardly admit it to the hanyou, Avietty was very fond of the latest member of the Western Lands and thought Inuyasha was an exceptionally perceptive student.

Having spoken with one tutor, Sesshomaru was off to visit the other, Masaru. Sesshomaru saw little need to sit in on Inuyasha's lessons with Lady Avietty, but found it difficult to stay away when his mate was training with Masaru. Of the youkai living within the Western Lands, only his Lord father could beat Sesshomaru but the prince never took his sparing with the tiger youkai lightly. Masaru was deadly and extremely powerful. Had he the desire, Masaru could have challenged any of the Lords of the Lands for their throne and had a fair chance at it. When Lord Inu no Taisho had placed Masaru at the head of the Western Army, both the Lords of the North and South had told him that such a placement would only lead to the destruction of his hold upon the West.

But his father had thought differently. Lord Inu no Taisho had never feared strength and saw Masaru not as a threat, but asset. Instead of treating the tiger youkai as a threat, the Lord of the West won over a very powerful youkai by earning his trust and rewarding his service. Masaru was loyal to a fault and his mating with the healer, Norim, was another link in the chain that secured the tiger to the dogs of the West.

And so, it was not that Sesshomaru truly feared Masaru would harm Inuyasha, at least, not permanently, but the knowledge that his submissive mate was actively engaged in combat with such a powerful predator would not allow Sesshomaru's youkai any peace. He knew that training with the tiger was the best way to strengthen and consequently ensure Inuyasha's survival, but it was still difficult to stay away. And so, Sesshomaru stood, a silent sentry while another drew his mate's blood. Standing still, fighting down his need to intervene and slaughter Masaru for daring to inflict harm upon his hanyou even though it had been at his own orders to do so. The Prince of the West observed, ready to jump in and protect Inuyasha should things get out of hand. His youkai would allow for nothing less.

Finally at Masaru's and Norim's private chambers, Sesshomaru let his youkai energy announce his presence but respectfully waited for Masaru to pull the door open and invite him in. "My prince, it is an honor to have you present."

Inclining his head slightly, Sesshomaru acknowledged the rarely sincere sentiment. "Masaru, Norim, it pleases this Sesshomaru to see you both well."

Smiling brightly, Norim ducked his head in return. "Prince Sesshomaru, is there anything in particular you require of me tonight, or is it my mate that you have come to see?"

"It is Masaru whom I require, but you need not leave if you do not wish."

Going up on tiptoe, Norim licked the side of Masaru's cheek, earning a deep growl of approval. "A journal I've been searching for has just arrived and I've been itching to get a chance to start translating it." Leaning against his mate, Norim's eyes traveled to Sesshomaru as his face grew serious. "The journal is several centuries old, but I believe it has information on a male hanyou submissive that was mated to a powerful dominant fox youkai. If rumors are to be believed, they had several kits successfully and I'm hopeful it will have some useful information that might be relevant to Inuyasha."

In the past, Sesshomaru would have said nothing to such a statement. As the private healer of the ruling Inu's of the West, it was Norim's job to know more than any other how to treat and take care of those within his care. Perhaps it was Inuyasha's influence, or perhaps Sesshomaru was just beginning to see the value of spoken words. Whatever the reason, the Prince of the West nodded and answered, "Your continued efforts are appreciated."

Quickly hiding his shock at being praised, Norim bowed before squeezing his mate's hand and leaving the room.

Masaru stood, his eyes fixated on the sway of Norim's hips as he walked away. Only when his mate was beyond his vision did the tiger youkai turn his attention back to his guest. "I assume you are here to discuss Inuyasha's training."

"I have been observing your spars and wish to know your opinion on his capabilities."

Lifting up the edge of a lip, Masaru smirked. "Am I also to assume that, since you have come to my chambers to discuss this, that I am at leisure to speak my mind?"

Sesshomaru's head tilted slightly to the side, his eyes as sharp as ever. "Within my presence, you are always permitted to speak your mind. However, you are correct in assuming that in regards to Inuyasha's safety, discretion is always premium, except when given leave otherwise. As you have already stated, this Sesshomaru has come to you seeking your true opinion."

Weeding through the words, Masaru felt a flare of pride grip his chest. The Prince of the West was notoriously cold and . . . difficult, but when Sesshomaru respected your opinion – respected you as a whole, the true prince was revealed.

Glancing toward a small alcove in the corner, Masaru inclined his head and asked, "Norim's concocted some new type of sake with herbal enhancement, don't suppose you'd risk a try with me?"

The barest of smiles graced Sesshomaru's lips. "It would seem rude to decline."

"Excellent," Masaru grinned while pouring two healthy doses of Norim's latest brew. Handing one cup to Sesshomaru, the tiger youkai smiled widely before lifting his own, throwing his head back, and downing the mix in one swallow.

Following suite, Sesshomaru drank his portion in a far more civilized way. Had the Prince of the West been a lesser youkai, he might have heaved the fluid right back up. Pushing down the rising bile, Sesshomaru simply set his cup down, his face its usual blank façade.

Lips smacking, Masaru ran his barbed tongue around the inside surface of his mouth, letting the flavor coat his taste buds. With a casual shrug of his shoulders, the tiger set his cup beside Sesshomaru's. "Not bad. In fact, I'd say it's better than the last dozen or so he's tried."

Their healer's apparent pastime of tampering with perfectly good sake was news to Sesshomaru, but what was perhaps more surprising was the fact that Masaru thought that vile fluid actually tasted better than his mate's previous _attempts_.

Noting the continued silence from his prince, Masaru gave a throaty laugh. "Well, I suppose it's an acquired taste." Looking toward the door Norim had passed through, Masaru's grin turned soft. "It seems to be a passion of his, to actually make sake somehow more healthy for all of us." Shaking his head, the tiger youkai looked back to Sesshomaru. "It's as much in his nature to heal us as it is in mine to rip my enemy limb from limb. I destroy and he saves. I suppose at the end of the day, it all equals out."

Sesshomaru had never considered Norim and Masaru's mating in such a way, but perhaps it was poignant in some manner, or more likely, it was just the gods' way of humoring themselves.

Noting the continued silence, Masaru sighed before pointing to a well-used fur lying upon the ground. "Would you care to relax while we speak of your mate?"

Accepting the invitation, Sesshomaru kneeled upon the fur, Masaru not far behind. Although almost equal in height, the tiger was far more massive than the prince's more slender frame and yet both kneeled with an elegance only found in such powerful youkai.

Clawed fingers scratching behind a pointed ear, Masaru's slitted eyes stared at the very passive prince before him. "As usual, you've given me an interesting challenge, my prince."

"A challenge? Do you mean to say that the hanyou will be difficult to train?"

"No," Masaru shook his head, "no, that's not what I mean, at least, not exactly." Taking in a deep breath, Masaru rested his large hands upon his knees. "What I mean is that I don't think I've ever fought anyone like him. You and I were both trained and brought up with direction and taught certain basic fighting techniques from which we built upon and made our own. We might have changed those styles to fit our needs, but the basic principles behind them remain. With Inuyasha . . . "

"There is no set pattern."

Masaru huffed. "Not just no set pattern, but no damn rhyme nor reason. I've never sparred with anyone so unpredictable." Giving another shake of his head, Masaru's greenish-gold eyes glinted in the light from the nearby fire. "I've no idea what he's thinking most the time, nor what he's going to throw at me next."

Head tilted slightly to the side, Sesshomaru pondered those words. "I am yet unclear whether this is an advantage or disadvantage to my mate."

Masaru chuckled warmly. "Neither do I, but so far I'd say it is more advantage than disadvantage." Pulling up the sleeve of his evening yukata, the tiger youkai showed Sesshomaru a healing wound. "The little runt managed to make me bleed today. I can't tell you the last time my blood was drawn when not in a real battle."

"It was seventeen years ago, the last time you and I sparred."

Eyes narrowing, Masaru nodded. "I suppose it was." Lowering the fabric back down, the tiger felt his teeth clench. "Inuyasha has no idea how difficult it is to land a hit upon me. Most likely he feels like he's failing miserably, but in truth, it is the opposite."

Sesshomaru agreed. "I have spoken with Kitanya and she has indicated that the hanyou is very battered and exhausted on the evenings when he has been training with you."

Knowing he'd been given leave to train, and thus injure the submissive mate of the Prince of the West, Masaru felt no rebuff at the remark. "I've knocked him on his ass, thrown him into trees, and sent him sailing across the field but he keeps coming back. Half-breed or not, your new mate has stamina and determination, more so than most pureblooded youkai I know. Even at his current level, I'd rather have Inuyasha at my back during a battle than most the youkai under my lead."

Pleased beyond what he thought he could experience, Sesshomaru barely hid the pride bursting within his chest. "Inuyasha has a strong will, had he not, then it is unlikely he would have survived into adulthood."

Masaru nodded. "Agreed. It's a shame he wasn't trained up proper from a young age, but most likely, it will work out well for him in the end." Head bent in concentration, the tiger youkai thought for a few moments, trying to settle upon the right words. "When I said earlier that Inuyasha is a challenge, I did not just speak of his current abilities, but of how I might aid in his development. It is the uniqueness of his style that helps make the hanyou so formidable and I do not wish to change that. The unexpected way in which Inuyasha fights is one of his greatest weapons and it is a weapon that must be fine tuned, not dismantled and put back together."

"An interesting way of looking at the issue."

Masaru shrugged. "Perhaps. And perhaps what needs to be focused on is not so much his attacking technique, but more his ability to defend himself while sustaining as little injury as possible." At Sesshomaru's silence, Masaru continued, "Your mate is strong, but he is still a half-breed. Inuyasha doesn't heal as quickly as a full-blooded youkai. When he attacks me, he brings great injury upon himself. For lack of a better word, I think Inuyasha is far too used to pain and simply accepts this as the price he must pay to be victorious."

Thinking back on the battle he'd seen between Inuyasha and Jakotem, Sesshomaru thought Masaru made a good point. In that fight, his hanyou had sustained more damage than most knew, including himself. Inuyasha had had decades of learning how to hide his wounds and the best way to hide something from others was to ignore them yourself. "He sees no value to his own body."

Head snapping up, Masaru opened his mouth only to close it sharply again. "No value?"

Mind wandering, Sesshomaru thought back to his interactions with his new mate. Inuyasha seemed exceedingly modest, but perhaps it wasn't just modesty. When viewed in a different light, it was easy to see that his submissive didn't just not wish to be looked at, but thought the idea of his body would offend others. It was just another example of how little his hanyou thought of himself. "I believe he sees his body as nothing special, that the injury of his flesh is of little importance as long as it is able to survive in the end."

"I see," Masaru answered, a deep frown pulling at the corners of his lips. Having grown up in youkai society, he knew all too well the overbearing pride youkai had in their forms. Even those that humans found grotesque to look upon had their purposes and were considered beautiful among their own kind. Youkai did not suffer from poor body image and vanity was rarely seen as a fault.

Masaru couldn't help but feel the twist in his gut at such thoughts. By any standard, Inuyasha was a beautiful and fierce creature. It was unfortunate that the hanyou could not see this and yet how could one think positively about themselves when constantly ridiculed and hated for simply being born as you were. But even with this new knowledge, Masaru did not know how he might be of aid. "My prince, I might be able to teach and refine Inuyasha's skills, but I believe changing his overall opinion of himself lies more within your hands than mine."

Sesshomaru felt something in his belly flutter. He'd been avoiding direct contact with Inuyasha since their mating ceremony and the rutting that had followed. Thoughts constantly consumed with his new mate, the Prince of the West was finding it difficult to understand what was going on within himself. He had thought his obsession with his hanyou merely to be a result of the normal instincts of a dominant for their submissive, but he was finding his own feelings to be much more than that. When not within Inuyasha's presence, Sesshomaru found his mind wandering, his temper flaring, and his mood deteriorating. Concentration seemed to be a skill long lost and the InuYoukai was becoming increasingly frustrated. Inuyasha was too young to safely breed and yet he wanted nothing more than to sink his flesh into his hanyou's tight heat. He'd thought it was simply a desire to rut, little more than a biological need, and yet when he thought of doing such things with any other . . . all desire fled his previously needy body. Sesshomaru could think of no logical reason why he craved his mate's flesh unless . . . unless there was something more than the typical mating bond. And that thought left him feeling lost.

Watching Sesshomaru intently, yet quietly, Masaru was astounded by the flicker of rare emotion within his prince's eyes. Curious, Masaru waited for Sesshomaru to speak, finally being rewarded by a question that made his eyes go wide with surprise.

"How often do you rut with your mate?"

Blinking, Masaru replayed the inquiry in his head, making sure he'd heard correctly. "How often?" At the continued silence, the tiger youkai didn't have to think about his answer for long. "Well, I suppose that depends on how often Norim lets me take him. When we are together and the West is at peace, I'd say it's probably at least twice a day, more if he allows."

The answer surprised Sesshomaru but as usual, not a trace of such an emotion met his face. "Even though Norim is no longer fertile, you still desire to rut him so frequently?"

Had it been any other than either Inu no Taisho, or his son, Sesshomaru, Masaru would have immediately inflicted bodily harm. It was no secret that Norim had only been able to give birth to one offspring, a daughter. Although they had tried for more, Norim's body did not seem capable of sustaining a cub for more than a few days before he would miscarry. The last one had almost taken Norim's life along with his child and since that time Masaru would not risk it and made sure his mate drank the herbal medicine that prevented pregnancy. Still, it was a painful topic for both of them.

Straightening, the tiger youkai studied his prince and found there was no malice in the question, only sincere interest. "You mean to imply that I would not value my mate's body if he were unable to conceive?"

Sesshomaru could feel the tension rise. He'd known his question would be delicate, but had seen little reason not to ask. "Is that not the purpose of a submissive mate? The reason why their body calls to their dominant?"

Momentarily silent, Masaru thought he was maybe beginning to see the reason behind Sesshomaru's question and felt the tension in his muscles dissipate fractionally. "I suppose so, but I have never viewed Norim in this manner. I value his life far more than his ability to produce cubs. I suppose not all mated relationships are the same."

Sesshomaru thought on his own father and mother's mating and subsequent distance, both physically and emotionally. When his mother left for her own kingdom, Sesshomaru had stayed with his father and was fairly certain that the Lord of the West had not taken another to his bed other than his mate. His father was known to take off occasionally and it was understood that those times were spent in his mother's kingdom, sating the lust that had built within his body. And yet, months to years could pass where the Lord of the West seemed content and did not require release.

Thinking of his parents' relationship, Sesshomaru thought over other higher-level youkai and their mates. In general, youkai were gluttonous creatures and did everything to an extreme. Whether it be their quest for power, vengeance, pride or lust, youkai defended what they had gained with jealous obsession and mates were not different. And yet . . . most mated pairs that he knew spent little actual time together. The dominant cared for and protected the submissive, but beyond sating natural needs, they did not seek each other out for companionship. Given that knowledge, Sesshomaru had assumed that once he fully claimed Inuyasha as his mate, the need and desire to be around him constantly would ebb, but the reality was far different and it was becoming more than an odd puzzle. His need for his hanyou was disrupting his ability to perform his duties.

Golden eyes sharp and analyzing, Sesshomaru stared at the fierce tiger youkai before him. Masaru and Norim were different. It was well known that they were closer than normal mated pairs but he had paid little attention to something that Sesshomaru had deemed of little consequence to the continued protection of the West. Now however, their relationship took on new meaning for the Prince of the West.

Wrapped around his middle, Sesshomaru could feel mokomoko twitch, his fur the only indication of his own unease. "Is it permissible for this Sesshomaru to question you further in regards to your mating with the healer, Norim?"

Masaru gave a quick blink of his eyes. The question itself wasn't nearly as interesting as the fact that his prince had thought to ask it. "You are my prince. It is my duty to assist you in any way I can."

The answer was not unexpected and Sesshomaru nodded his approval. "Very well. I would know if your desire to be around each other has always been present?"

Leaning back, Masaru scratched the ruff stubble on his chin. "You mean to ask if I felt the need to be with my mate right from the start? Even after I had claimed him as my submissive?"

"Yes."

"Ah," lip quirking, a single fang glinted in the candle light. Silently, Masaru was beginning to get an inkling of where this was going and couldn't say he wasn't pleased by it. "In short, the answer is yes. Physically claiming and marking him did little to ease my need and desires as it does with most dominants. Thankfully, Norim felt the same and has always seemed to enjoy my _affections_ ," Masaru answered with a full-blown grin. Chuckling, the tiger youkai felt warmth flood his chest with the memories of their latest rutting that morning.

"And indulging in this need has not been detrimental?"

"Detrimental in what way?"

Twitching more aggressively, mokomoko actually lifted off the ground once before Sesshomaru could settle his fur. "You have not found your desire for your mate, distracting?"

Masaru's chest rumbled with a low growl. "Have you ever found fault with the way I perform my duties, Prince Sesshomaru?"

At the growl, Sesshomaru quickly realized he had offended the tiger and quickly answered, "No. As you are well aware, you are one of the most powerful and capable youkai within the Western Lands. Neither myself nor my Lord father have ever found fault in your loyalty or ability."

With a sharp nod of his head, Masaru felt placated. "I should hope not. In point of fact, it should be noted that both my submissive mate and myself hold two of the most coveted positions within your father's rule. It is Norim that heals the rulers of the West and it is I that help protect them. From that point of view, my relationship with my mate does not seem deleterious at all."

Sesshomaru felt the pressure of these last two weeks ease within his soul. He had thought this obsession with Inuyasha to be a great fault within himself - that it would weaken him and yet sitting right before him was the evidence that that need not be so. Still, the current state of things was not acceptable and was proving unsuccessful. "Did you ever attempt to suppress these needs?"

" _Suppress them_?" Masaru only shook his head. "No, nor do I think I'd be able to if I tried. Or, at least I'd most likely go insane if that were the case." Eyes going momentarily distant, Masaru thought of his mate and the calm and clarity being around Norim gave him. "It is difficult to explain, but the very scent of Norim . . . the simple knowledge that he is near or waiting for me . . . that knowledge gives me both peace and confidence. Without him . . . well, simply put, there is no without him."

The Prince of the West wasn't at all positive he liked the sure way Masaru said those words. For most mated pairs, losing the other was a deep blow, but it was not deadly. However, Sesshomaru got the distinct impression that to loose Norim was to loose Masaru and most likely that scenario worked in the opposing way as well. That one thought led him to wonder what would become of him should Inuyasha fall and no more had that notion entered his mind than Sesshomaru felt the roar of his youkai as the world around him swam in a crimson haze.

Once the idea got into his head, Sesshomaru found he could not let it go. All around, his aura swam with his rage at the very idea that his mate would be taken from him. Growling low and voice barely above a whispered fury, Sesshomaru's clawed fingers dripped poison as he uttered, "Inuyasha will not die."

Shocked by the growing wild rage of Sesshomaru's youkai, Masaru's eyes widened with the full realization of what their conversation had truly meant. The Prince of the West and his submissive mate were a truly bonded pair and right now Sesshomaru's youkai was going insane with thoughts of losing that which it now needed the most.

At his back, Masaru could feel Norim as he moved into the room, no doubt stirred from his reading by the massive youkai aura flaring around Sesshomaru. Worried for his mate, Masaru held up a hand indicating Norim should stay where he was. Not only did the tiger youkai want to keep his mate away, but if things got worse, he would need Norim to grab Inuyasha's ass and get him here pronto.

Making sure to keep his own youkai subdued so as not to appear threatening, Masaru kept his voice steady. "Prince Sesshomaru, your mate is well. There is no danger."

Crimson eyes glinting like fire, Sesshomaru's attention turned toward the tiger youkai, a guttural, "Inuyasha," slipping through his poisonous mouth.

"Yes, Inuyasha is safe. There is no need for your anger and it would frighten your hanyou should he see it."

In his mind, Sesshomaru heard the words, 'Inuyasha is safe,' and latched on to them. Slowly, sanity began seeping back into his instinctual mind enough to allow the rest of Masaru's words to take hold. The last thing he ever wanted to do was frighten his mate.

Taking in deep breaths, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and when they opened, he had completely cleared the crimson from their depths. Even so, it was a few moments before he thought himself composed enough to speak. "My apologies, Masaru." Carefully blank eyes looking up, Sesshomaru noted that Norim was also now present and inclined his head. "And to you as well, healer."

With Sesshomaru safely back in control, Norim moved closer to his mate, sitting down next to Masaru and leaning heavily on the tiger youkai.

Feeling the comforting weight of his submissive, Masaru leaned over and breathed deeply of Norim's scent before looking to Sesshomaru. "As always, your apologies are unneeded."

Eyes fixed on the way Masaru's arm possessively draped over his mate, Sesshomaru felt a flare of jealousy spike through his system. True to form, the InuYoukai visually covered the emotion, but failed to conceal the brief surge of youkai energy that accompanied it.

Having not been privy to the previous conversation, Norim's eyebrows rose as he looked to his mate and stated, "It seems I've missed a few things. Perhaps next time when our prince welcomes me to stay, I shall more readily heed his offer."

Chuckling low, Masaru squeezed Norim tighter, letting the feel and smell of his mate calm him. "Indeed you have. With Prince Sesshomaru's permission, I shall be more than happy to fill you in on things later, but for now . . . " turning his attention back to the volatile InuYoukai still within their chambers, Masaru pointedly stated, "You can not ignore this. If I'm understanding things correctly, you've been attempting to deal with your instincts by pushing them away and trying to pretend they do not exist. Doing so will only lead to more instances like this one. What you have with Inuyasha must be carefully guarded and protected, but you are more than capable of doing both. There is only one solution to your current problem."

Rising from his position, Sesshomaru gave a rare bow. "This Sesshomaru thanks you for your time and words. You have my permission to speak freely with your mate regarding our conversation." Eyes momentarily locked upon Norim, Sesshomaru added, "It is likely such information will be necessary in the future." With nothing further to say, the Prince of the West left a confused Norim behind.

Walking down the seemingly endless corridors, Sesshomaru made his way back to his room, quickly passing through the flimsy door separating him from his mate. As with every past night, Inuyasha was curled within the furs upon his floor, his hanyou's heart as steady as his breaths. Inhaling deeply, Sesshomaru felt the peace and calm Masaru had spoken of filter through his body with disconcerting speed. And with that calm came clarity of thought. Masaru was correct. Ignoring what his natural instincts were screaming at him was only leading down a path of failure, and Sesshomaru did not fail.

Within his mind, the Prince of the West thought through all that he had learned and with frightening determination accepted it. For reasons only the gods themselves knew, he had formed a true bond with Inuyasha. And although he knew little about it, Sesshomaru was already beginning to understand that such bonds were both a blessing and a curse.

Still, standing there as he was, staring down at the beauty that was his submissive mate, Sesshomaru could not see his hanyou as a curse. Cottony-white hair splayed across and intertwined within the furs he slept upon, Sesshomaru could barely glimpse the form of a lax puppy-dog ear lying deep within the mix. In that moment, every thing within his body screamed for Sesshomaru to sink his growing cock deep into his mate. Inuyasha was his and no other's and his hanyou did not smell nearly enough of his scent to ease his youkai.

But the question remained, would his hanyou feel the same? Did Inuyasha feel the same pull as he? Did his submissive mate long for his touch, long for his cock? Sesshomaru knew Inuyasha's life had been more than difficult and it was a miracle in and of itself that his hanyou had survived. He had no desire to cause his mate further harm or fear. Just the thought of hurting Inuyasha quelled his growing arousal. Taking his hanyou now, without knowing what Inuyasha's true desires were . . . the very idea was repellant.

Taking in a last deep inhale of breath, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and forced his body from the room. Rarely if ever did the Prince of the West deny himself that which he truly wanted, but his hanyou was far too valuable to risk either physical or emotional harm.

Lying still and feigning sleep, Inuyasha heard the door separating their rooms slide shut and slowly opened his amber eyes. Although naïve to the world of lust, his nose knew the scent of arousal when he smelled it and he felt more confused than ever. What did Sesshomaru want from him? He'd said that he would sate his needs only with him, and yet when Inuyasha sensed need . . . his mate left. Did Sesshomaru find him that unappealing that the InuYoukai would not slack his desire when he obviously needed to?

Burying his head down deeper into his furs, Inuyasha the felt bitter ache of loneliness voraciously eating away at his soul.

 _Whew, that was a longer chapter. Well, we learned a few things here. Many of you have been pondering just what happened with Sesshomaru and a certain spider youkai that made him so bitter. Well, we still don't know for sure, but at least now know it was Naraku (like many of you couldn't figure that one out), and that he's also dead. Maybe dead, but not forgotten? Hmmm . . . more to come later on that one. We also found out that Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's mating bond is a little different than most and this is causing mehem (sp?) for our poor Prince of the West._

 _Next chapter should be up Sunday, probably early Sunday the way things are currently looking. At the latest it would be later that night. Hope you are well and thanks as always for continuing to read and review._

 _lunamist_


	16. Chapter 16

_Good morning all. I'm really short on time today, so this will probably be brief. Also, this is a shorter chapter (sorry). Many reason's for that, but partly simply because I was lacking time today to edit something longer. Thank you all for sticking with things and for understanding that it's going to be a bit for misunderstandings to be hashed out. By a bit, probably 3 or so more chapters. To put some fears to rest . . . no, Sesshomaru and Naraku did not have a more intimate relationship here. I too find that pairing a little gut churning. We'll learn what happened later on. Also, just got a review this morning asking if female dominant and female submissive pairs could have children. Hmmmm . . . I think that's a good question and I think that somehow they should, but not sure how (although, in all fairness, I'm not really sure how m-preg works either :-)_

 _Just in case some of you missed it, I posted an extra chapter on Thursday. So, if you haven't read that one, then you may want to go back to chapter 15._

 _Chapter 16 . . ._

Gasping, Inuyasha struggled to regain his breath. Once again, he found himself staring up into the afternoon sun, his back stinging with the pain of freshly torn flesh from where he had landed so unceremoniously upon the earth. Without giving his body a chance to recover, the hanyou was soon up, his amber eyes narrowed and calculating as the confident tiger youkai stood just a few yards away.

Hand wiping away a fresh trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, Inuyasha felt frustration bloom anew within his soul, that was, until he saw the crimson staining Masaru's right thigh. With no small amount of satisfaction, Inuyasha easily noted that the amount of blood leaking from his opponents flesh was far more significant than his own.

Lips pulled up into a smile, the hanyou pointed a clawed finger at the fresh wound, fighting with all his might to keep the exhaustion he felt from making his hand quiver. "Look's like someone wasn't quick enough."

Glancing down at where Inuyasha was pointing, Masaru's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly. While it was true that this was the deepest wound the hanyou had ever managed to land, the cost of ultimately such a small amount of damage was far too high for his student. The simple fact that Inuyasha viewed it as a victory was all too telling.

Easing down his stance, Masaru's calculating eyes took in the badly beaten InuHanyou before him, the corners of his mouth turning down into a deep frown while recalling the conversation he'd had with his prince just the night before.

Misinterpreting the frown lacing Masaru's face, Inuyasha let his muscles relax, suppressing the ache racing through his body. "That all you got? -Keh, pretty damn pathetic that a little bloodshed is enough to call it quits."

Frown turning into a scowl; Masaru shook his head as he began walking forward. "Is that what you truly think? You believe that the shock of seeing my own blood is what stays my hand?"

Confused at both the tone and words coming from the tiger's mouth, Inuyasha flexed his claws before curling them into deep fists. "I can't see another reason why you're actin' like we're done."

"Truly? Can you not?"

Opening his mouth, the hanyou shut it quickly before finally stating, "I don't get you."

"Well then, I suppose that means we have something in common." Deeply sighing at the continued confusion, Masaru crossed his arms over his large chest, his eyes narrowed while scrutinizing Inuyasha. "Yes, you managed to finally land a more significant blow, but what you have failed to realize is the price you had to pay to do it." Finally acknowledging the wound on his leg, Masaru pointed to the slowing crimson flow. "This is hardly a mortal wound. Hell, it's not even enough to slow me down. But you . . . to accomplish this little piece of flesh wound, you have nearly crippled your own body."

Pissed and near snarling, Inuyasha felt offended to his very core. "Fuck you! This ain't nothin'. I've taken a hell of a lot more damage than this and – "

"And what? Lived?" Head shaking once more, Masaru knew what the hanyou said was heartbreakingly true. "And how long did it take you to recover afterwards?"

Mouth snapping shut; Inuyasha couldn't see how that was really that interesting. The important thing was that he'd lived through the assault. "Who cares? I healed and that's the end of it."

"And the amount of pain and trauma inflicted upon your body? I suppose that doesn't really matter either."

Reaching up a clawed finger, Inuyasha scratched behind a twitching puppydog ear, annoyed when his broken claw became hopelessly entangled in his hair. "I don't see why it would. Pain is just another way of knowin' your still alive. It's when the pain stops that ya need to start worryin'."

Masaru felt as if he'd been slapped, so deep was the visceral reaction he had to that statement. "Inuyasha, has it never occurred to you that the reason for our lessons is to try and teach you how to fight . . . how to protect yourself without so much pain and injury? While it is true that learning to fight through overwhelming agony is a skill all great warriors must have, the goal of any altercation is to sustain as little damage as necessary while still defeating your enemy. You must understand the limits of your body, but also respect it's limitations."

Head cocked to the side, Inuyasha heard the words and thought through them. Even when sparring with Kouga, they'd both inflicted a fair amount of damage to each other and the wolf had never seemed overly concerned that he might be in a little too much pain.

Still confused, Inuyasha licked his split lip. "So . . . what? You sayin' I need to try and conserve my body because there might not be enough time to heal before the next attack?" Head shaking, Inuyasha added, "If that's what's got ya worried, then you can stop right now. I've had to battle on and off for days and sometimes weeks with little to no food in between. I might just be a half-breed, but my body can take whatever you can dish out and I'll still come back for more."

Eyes closing, Masaru felt a heavy weight pull against the power within his body, his shoulders slumping under the massive pressure. Opening his lids, the vision before him did little to ease the tiger's mind. Standing there, still mending from wounds acquired from their previous days battles along with the fresh injuries of today, the small hanyou stood . . . proud and without hesitation. Inuyasha's battle for survival had not been a singular event, but a whole host of them strung together over the last few decades. And in that time, the young submissive had learned to embrace the pain that struggle entailed, to not complain, and to accept his lot in life. Perhaps he should not be so surprised this was the hanyou's opinion of himself. Most likely this was the way Inuyasha had remained sane.

Between last night's discussion with his prince along with the one he'd just had with the hanyou himself, Masaru was beginning to think that training Inuyasha would be a life long mission. Teaching the hanyou new and better ways of fighting wouldn't be the issue, but getting Inuyasha to understand how important his life and well-being were . . . that was a whole different matter.

Hands resting on his hips, Masaru knew he needed to think on the matter further and most likely would need Norim's calming scent and presence to help him formulate an acceptable plan. To that end, there was little need to continue today's lesson. Decision made, Masaru was about to tell the hanyou that he was dismissed when he felt Sesshomaru's presence near. For the past few days, the InuYoukai had merely watched from a distance.

Seeing Inuyasha's head already turning in Sesshomaru's direction, Masaru also gave his full attention to his prince, offering a small bow as the stoic creature neared. "Prince Sesshomaru, it is good to see you again."

Nodding in Masaru's direction, Sesshomaru's eyes were only for Inuyasha. Standing out of the way, the Prince of the West had carefully watched today's lesson, his youkai fidgeting within his body each and every time his hanyou took a painful hit. Up close, he could more easily smell his mate's blood. It was not a scent he relished.

Golden eyes traveling back up Inuyasha's body, Sesshomaru was pleased to see the slight flush to his hanyou's face, a flush that had been absent until his approach. Finally turning from his mate, Sesshomau questioned, "Is Inuyasha done for the day?"

Nodding, Masaru could only answer, "Yes. I believe it is time to end today's session."

"-Keh, I ain't that tired or near that wounded," Inuyasha protested.

Hearing those words brought a deep scowl to Masaru's lips. "You are injured enough." Even though the words had been directed at his pupil, Masaru's eyes held Sesshomaru's steady gaze, the tiger's gaze expanding upon the seriousness of his words.

Barely nodding his acknowledgement, Sesshomaru looked back down upon his spent hanyou. Following his discussion with Masaru the night before, the Prince of the West had spent the better part of the darkened night contemplating his response. Unfortunately, the tiger youkai was correct – Sesshomaru could not keep denying his desires and needs. At best, doing so was making him distracted. At worst, it was making him down right incompetent. If his mate were the key to getting Sesshomaru's mind and body back into some type of usable state, then he would bury his cock deep within Inuyasha's heat as soon as possible. But looking at how traumatized his submissive's body currently appeared, the InuYoukai was disappointed to realize that he would need to abstain for at least one more day.

Without looking to Masaru, Sesshomaru coldly stated, "Inuyasha's only lesson's tomorrow shall be with Lady Avietty."

More than offended, Inuyasha felt his hackles rise. "I said I ain't nearly that injured. Besides, whatever I got today will be more than sufficiently mended enough for me to physically take more tomorrow."

In response, Sesshomaru's lips tilted up ever so slightly, his hanyou's words pleasing him far more than Inuyasha could have ever anticipated. Frightening smile still in place, Sesshomaru raised a clawed hand, his fingers skimming lightly over the fur of a twitching puppydog ear, his voice oddly low as he answered, "Indeed, that is good news."

Heart pounding, Inuyasha felt his face heat while his amber eyes stared, completely transfixed by the rare emotion swimming within his dominant mate.

Breaking eye contact, Sesshomaru briefly turned his attention to Masaru. "You may return to your previous duties."

Nodding once, Masaru gave a shallow bow; his eyebrows pulled down with worry as he took in the predatory look in his prince's eyes. Sesshomaru had denied himself too long and Masaru was concerned that, in the InuYoukai's haste, he would do or say something that would inadvertently harm Inuyasha. Despite his concern, the tiger simply answered, "As you wish, my prince," before turning and walking away. With his mind a whirl of thoughts, Masaru knew that he would need to speak with Norim tonight about more than he'd previously anticipated.

Head tilted off to the side, Inuyasha watched Masaru's wide back as he walked away, not even the slightest hitch in his gait from the wound the hanyou had inflicted only moments ago. Annoyed, Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest while letting out a huffing grunt.

Seeing his mate's irritation, Sesshomaru asked, "Something troubles you?"

"-Keh, it ain't nothin'." Attention once more on his dominant mate, Inuyasha began wondering just exactly why Sesshomaru had decided to grace them with his more immediate presence when the bastard seemed to have been avoiding being in close proximity to him since their mating. Ears laid back, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he questioned, "So, did ya need somethin'?"

 _Need something?_ Oh, Sesshomaru needed something all right, but the actual act would need to wait. Ignoring his thickening cock, the Prince of the West inclined his head toward the Palace. "This Sesshomaru would like your company for a meal, if that is acceptable with you."

Blinking once, Inuyasha cocked his head to the side while contemplating the offer. With a shrug of his shoulders, the hanyou answered a simple, "Sure," before walking off, his mind focused on keeping his gait steady as to not indicate the extent of his injuries.

Lagging slightly behind, Sesshomaru analyzed his mate and was discouraged to see that his first thoughts had been correct. Although Inuyasha hid it well, Sesshomaru could see the barely perceptible hitch in his hanyou's step. Knowing the lengths his submissive went to disguise any and all injury; Sesshomaru knew it must be something more painful than usual for any hint of it to be visible. And, if that were the case, then he definitely should not take Inuyasha in the way he desired tonight.

Entering into the foyer of the royal family's private quarters, Inuyasha stopped when he heard Sesshomaru ordering a servant to bring food for both of them to his own quarters. Hands tightening down into fists, Inuyasha's palms began sweating with nervous anticipation. Truth be told, he'd never actually been inside Sesshomaru's rooms. Even though it was but a door away, he'd never once been invited in. The hanyou was fairly certain Kitanya had met with Sesshomaru in there, but he hadn't quizzed her on what it looked like. But now, for whatever reason, his frigid mate seemed to want him inside and Inuyasha didn't know whether that stood for anything important or not.

Hearing the whisper soft steps of his mate, Inuyasha stood where he was and waited for Sesshomaru to come up beside him before speaking. "We're eatin' in your room?"

Not understanding the significance, Sesshomaru answered a simple, "Yes," before adding, "the food will take a few moments, long enough for you to bathe if you so desire. You may join me in my quarters once you are refreshed."

Feeling like that didn't really answer his true question, Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it quickly. Not really knowing what to ask, the hanyou decided he'd just see where things went.

Quickly and quietly making it up to his own rooms, Inuyasha darted inside where Kitanya was already readying his bath. "You keepin' tabs on me now or what?"

Smiling wide, Kitanya reached for a towel. "Is it not my job to know where you are and anticipate your needs?"

It may have only been a couple of weeks, but Inuyasha was getting oddly used to having the small bear submissive around and was finding Kitanya's uncanny way of knowing what and when he needed almost anything less and less odd. Still, that didn't mean he was getting any more used to others doing things for him – things that he thought he could damn well do on his own. "You know I can fix my own bath."

"Of course, but why would you need do something that I enjoy?" she answered, the smile never once leaving her face.

Head shaking, Inuyasha shooed Kitanya out of the room as he still was uncomfortable disrobing in front of her or anyone else of that matter. "I can handle the rest on my own." Looking down at the steaming water, Inuyasha thought he felt his muscles already start to relax, that is, until he thought of what he would be doing upon leaving that tantalizing water. Anxiety ratcheting back up, Inuyasha spoke just loud enough for Kitanya to hear from her position on the opposite side of the door. "I . . . I guess I'm gonna be eatin' dinner with Sesshomaru, so, uh . . . I guess just pick me out somethin' clean to wear."

Both excited and a little worried, Kitanya went to a nearby wardrobe and began sifting through its contents for something that might be suitable. Picking an option that was simple and comfortable, Kitanya had not missed the note of hesitation in Inuyasha's voice and wanted to put him at ease as much as possible. And yet, she knew the simplicity of her choice would only add to her hanyou's beauty.

Only mildly surprised when Inuyasha exited the bathing chambers, a light robe draped over his body, Kitanya laid the garments within her arms down upon the floor while ordering the hanyou to sit in front of her.

Doing as asked, Inuyasha tolerated the seemingly endless combing of his unruly hair, the motions more soothing than irritating. With his mane of cottony-white hair finally tamed, the hanyou watched Kitanya turn her back, allowing him to dress quickly. Once covered, the bear submissive made quick work of tidying up his clumsy efforts. Within a matter of a precious few minutes, Kitanya pronounced him done and ready for Sesshomaru, an act that earned her a derisive eye role.

Hesitating for only a moment, Inuyasha took a deep breath and walked to the door separating his room from that of his mate, a door that Sesshomaru seemed to use often, and yet one that he had never approached. Hand raised, the hanyou wasn't sure if he should knock or just open the door. In that moment of thought, he heard Sesshomaru's icy voice order, "You may enter."

Absent-mindedly reaching up, Inuyasha lightly ran the pads of his fingers over the mating mark on his neck before doing as asked. Without further thought, the hanyou slid the door open and walked inside.

::::::::::

Amber eyes wide, Inuyasha stared at the room before him, marveling at how different it was from his own. While Kitanya had chosen colors and items that were anything but pretentious, Sesshomaru's rooms appeared to be created simply to make Inuyasha's quarters and taste seem drab by comparison.

Everywhere he looked, Inuyasha saw white – white mixed with the sparkle of gold, silver, and precious stones glinting in the light. The bed was a large, thick futon covered in furs. In one corner, there was a low desk that appeared to be well used while in another corner there was a wardrobe that made his own look like it belonged to a child.

Clawed toes inching further into the room, Inuyasha felt afraid to touch anything – afraid he'd not only leave his hanyou scent on it, but physically dirty it as well. Swallowing thickly, Inuyasha didn't quite know what to say.

Seeing his hanyou's unease, Sesshomaru inwardly smirked. His personal rooms were hardly a reflection of his true self and it was interesting to see his mate's obvious distaste for them. "Does the room not suite you?"

Head whipping in Sesshomaru's direction, Inuyasha snapped his gaping mouth closed. Scratching behind an ear, the hanyou thought of all the polite things he figured he was supposed to say, but in the end he only wound up shrugging his shoulders and answering a quite, "Well, I guess it's different."

"Different than what you expected?"

Taking another quick glance around, Inuyasha thought about that question and wondered just what he had expected. Sesshomaru was the Heir of the West, so his rooms should be pretty damn ostentatious, and yet they didn't seem to fit his mate. "I . . . uh, I'm not really sure what I thought they'd look like. Just . . . well, it don't really seem like you, but if ya like 'em, then who am I to say."

Walking to his desk, Sesshomaru took a moment to sign a document before turning his attention back to his mate. "An interesting observation. Few have actually entered these rooms and yet all of them have only commented on the beauty and elegance of my personal quarters. All seem to believe they fit me well."

"Oh . . . well, I suppose they'd probably know better than me."

"On the contrary," walking forward, Sesshomaru breathed in heavily of his mate's scent, feeling the calming balm of it work through his stressed muscles. "I have never thought my rooms to be a reflection of me. They were the design and work of the Lady of the West, my mother, whom believed her son should aspire to be as perfect of a being as the state of these rooms."

"Huh? Then why don't you change 'em?"

Sesshomaru thought over the question and began wondering himself why he had never sought to alter the ridiculousness of his personal chambers. "Perhaps I was not motivated enough. . . until now."

Inuyasha didn't really understand where Sesshomaru was going with that and simply nodded. "Well, if ya want, Kitanya could probably help. She seems to know what to do, or at least I like what she did with my area."

"Indeed. If you can spare her, perhaps I shall borrow your servant for such a purpose."

Scoffing, Inuyasha waved a hand in dismissal. "I've told her a thousand times I can draw my own damn bath and get my own food and stuff. As far as I'm concerned ya can ask her to help." Eyes narrowing down, Inuyasha pointed a clawed finger in Sesshomaru's direction. "But if you do ask her for her help, then you gotta be nice to her and not treat her like ya do the other servants. Okay?"

Although it had only been a few, preciously short weeks, Sesshomaru was beginning to doubt his mate would ever get used to the idea of servants being treated as servants should be, or at least, the way he thought they should be treated. Still, where Kitanya was concerned, it was a small concession and Sesshomaru answered a simple, "As you wish," before motioning where he would like Inuyasha to sit.

Watching the motion of Sesshomaru's clawed fingers, Inuyasha stared at the low table situated near a pair of doors he imagined led to a balcony similar to his own. With a final glance around the room, the hanyou did as asked and kneeled upon yet another plush fur, the pain of the action easily hidden behind years of practice. No more had he positioned himself than Inuyasha saw Sesshomaru turn and head for the door leading to the hall. Ears perked atop his head, the hanyou caught the barely there sound of feet upon wooden planks, not long after, his nose began scenting food and assumed their dinner's had arrived.

Worrying his bottom lip with a fang, Inuyasha wondered if it should have been him that had met the servant at the door, but finally decided that if Sesshomaru had wanted him to do something like that, then the bastard would have said so. As it was, the hanyou's mouth was fair to watering by the time Sesshomaru lowered the tray upon the table.

Hooded eyes glancing surreptitiously toward his hanyou, Sesshomaru felt heat fill his groin as he watched Inuyasha's pink tongue dart out to lick his lips, his young mate's eyes fixed hungrily upon the tenderly cooked meats he settled before them.

Removing all the lids before kneeling himself, Sesshomaru was amused by the fact that Inuyasha was actually managing to stay his hand from the food awaiting him. Although clearly starving, his hanyou was attempting to be polite and wait for him. Deciding that his submissive's need for food outweighed the pleasure he was taking from Inuyasha's restraint, Sesshomaru finally said, "You may eat whenever you wish, Inuyasha."

Needing no further prompting, Inuyasha's hunger easily pushed away the uneasiness he felt about being alone in Sesshomaru's personal rooms. Since his food needed cooked, it was easy to tell what portion was considered his and before his mate could say another word, the hanyou began eagerly tucking into his meal.

Watching Inuyasha eat with such obvious pleasure made Sesshomaru's inner youkai rumble in contented pride. Providing sustenance for their mate was one of the most primal instincts a dominant had. Casually placing a strip of still bloody venison in his mouth, Sesshomaru delighted in his view as the coppery tang of fresh meat eased down his throat.

A little more than halfway through devouring the cooked venison on his plate, Inuyasha finally glanced up, intending the motion to be no more than a passing gaze. Instead, the hanyou's amber orbs widened, the chunk of meat he'd just swallowed sticking in his throat as he gazed at the crimson ringed orbs of his mate.

Swallowing down his last bite, Inuyasha's clawed fingers hesitated. "Uh . . . Sesshomaru?"

At the questioning words and gaze, Sesshomaru merely pointed down at the rest of Inuyasha's plate. "If I recall correctly, you once told me that you do not let good food go to waste. Training with Masaru has left your body in need of food to fuel both your exertion and healing." And oh, how Sesshomaru wanted his hanyou to heal quickly.

Still unsure, Inuyasha took a discrete sniff. Beyond the delicious scent of their food, he picked up some very confusing aromas coming from Sesshomaru's direction – scents that he didn't understand. Head tilting to the side, Inuyasha contemplated the red lurking around the edges of the Prince of the West's normally golden orbs. The color indicated that Sesshomaru's youkai was acting up about something. In his relatively short life, the hanyou's main interaction with those whose youkai was riled up normally meant a boatload of pain was about to be heaped on his half-breed ass. But despite being confused by Sesshomaru's scent and aura, Inuyasha couldn't pick up any sense of anger or danger.

Contemplative, Inuyasha grasped another piece of meat, placing it in his mouth and slowly chewing. When the food had arrived, he'd felt his anxieties melt away, but now found them returning at an alarming rate.

Sensing his mate's increasing unease, Sesshomaru took a drink of tea while attempting to calm his desires. No matter what the circumstances, he would not take his mate when his hanyou was in pain and in need of healing from his earlier activities. Being here, with Inuyasha's scent surrounding him, should be enough – for now.

Without another word, Inuyasha finished off all the food that was meant for him, his eyes constantly drifting back to Sesshomaru for any indication of danger. But as the silence dragged on, he began to get increasingly fidgety and irritated. Always one to get straight to the point when able, Inuyasha finally asked, "Why in the hell am I havin' dinner with you in your rooms?"

Finishing the last of his tea, Sesshomaru calmly placed his cup down. "Do you dislike spending private time with your mate?"

Flushing, Inuyasha shifted his position. "No . . . it ain't that, I . . . I just don't understand why? I mean, since our official matin', you ain't really been around much."

"I have been present at every training session you have had with Masaru."

"-Keh," Inuyasha scoffed while shoving his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. "Standin' way off in the distance don't really count."

"You would have preferred me to be closer?" Had Sesshomaru been a lesser youkai, such as that lecherous monk, he would have been grinning like a fool.

"What? No . . . it's just, you didn't really seem to want to get that close. You also haven't wanted to eat with me or just come over and said so much as a, 'hi, how ya doin',' since the mornin' after we . . . well, since we . . . you know."

In that moment, all of Sesshomaru's attention bore down on his young mate. Head bent and at an angle, the InuYoukai watched as Inuyasha nervously scratched a spot on his reddened cheek, his hanyou's cottony-white strands of hair covering his normally expressive amber orbs. Voice carefully devoid of the emotion he was feeling, Sesshomaru bluntly questioned, "Did you enjoy our rutting?"

Head snapping up, Inuyasha's eyes went wide. "I . . . well, I didn't hate it."

"No?"

Squirming even more, Inuyasha looked away again. "It was okay. I mean, I didn't really like havin' to do it in the same room as all those other stuck-up, perverted youkai, but . . . " not really knowing what else to say, the hanyou's voice faded off.

The mere thought of other's seeing his mate's flesh, hearing his moans of pleasure, nearly sent Sesshomaru into inconsolable fury. Closing his striped eyelids, the Prince of the West took a moment to regain his composure before answering, "Rest assured, that shall never be necessary again."

Blinking, Inuyasha wasn't sure if Sesshomaru was talking about rutting in general or just in front of an audience and offered up a quiet, "Oh . . . okay."

Slightly confused by the disappointment lacing his mate's voice, Sesshomaru nevertheless pressed on. "I am aware that you do not appreciate my inquiries into the state of your health, but I must know if you were overtly injured during such an act."

By now Inuyasha's cheeks were fair to burning while the mating mark on his neck began smoldering as if it had been lit by an insidious fire. "It wasn't nothin' I couldn't handle."

"And if such acts were repeated on a fairly regular basis? Would that still be something your body could handle?"

Mouth opening once, only to close again, Inuyasha stared, his eyes blow wide. "You sayin' you'd like to do that . . . again?"

"Yes, and potentially, quite frequently."

Inside the sleeves of his kimono, Inuyasha's claws dug deep into the skin of his forearms, almost to the point of drawing blood. "How . . . how frequently?" Despite his best efforts, the question came out as little more than a choked whisper.

Head tilted in contemplation, Sesshomaru's silvery-white strands of hair shifted over his shoulder while mokomoko twitched with both the anticipation and desire that question evoked. "At this point, I am uncertain."

Trying to calm his pounding heart, Inuyasha wondered at just how surreal this conversation was turning out to be, and, how unexpected. Just like every other time he'd spoken with Sesshomaru, the ice-cold bastard spoke of such intimate matters with a detached frankness that wounded Inuyasha's heart. "You don't know?"

"Having nothing prior to base this need upon, I can only assume that time and experience will indicate the number of instances required."

"Oh." Eyes drifting to the doors he assumed led to the balcony, Inuyasha felt what little hope he'd allowed to sprout shrivel up into nothing more than wispy tendrils of dust. Mouth taught and grim, the hanyou finally nodded, his determination set. "Well then, I guess we'll just have to find out." Swallowing past the lump of bitter disappointment clogging his throat, Inuyasha consoled himself with the knowledge that at least the bastard was actually asking for his permission first.

Unaware of the inner turmoil assaulting his mate, Sesshomaru inwardly beamed, a rare form of relief flooding his body. Unfortunately, the real relief would need to wait until the following day.

Figuring the nice dinner was also Sesshomaru's way of buttering him up, Inuyasha's hardened eyes looked up as he asked, "So, you wanna do it tonight then?"

Sesshomaru's fangs nearly pierced the flesh within his mouth, the very offer was so tempting that it was near to impossible to turn down his mate and yet that was exactly what he needed to do. "Your offer is appreciated, but your body is in need of recovery after your recent training with Masaru."

Eyes rolling, Inuyasha huffed. "I keep tellin' ya that this ain't noth – "

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru cut his mate off, "I have been denying my own needs for too long and when I take you again, there is a fair chance that I shall not be able to show as much . . . restraint, as I would like. Rutting you tonight, when your body is already compromised, would be ill conceived."

Those few words as well as the strained tone they were given in tightened almost every muscle in Inuyasha's body, his ears perked and at high attention atop his head. How in the hell was he supposed to respond to that? And what exactly did Sesshomaru mean when he said he might not be able to show the type of _restraint_ he would like? From what little Inuyasha had been able to see, the Ice-Prince of the West was about the most restrained youkai he'd ever met.

Inuyasha's silence told Sesshomaru that his mate had heard him, and at least understood – to a point. "For now, you will return to your chambers and rest. You will not train with Masaru tomorrow, but I see no reason you should abstain from Lady Avietty's tutelage."

By now, all Inuyasha could do was nod his head, having little concept to what he was truly agreeing to. "Okay."

"Assuming you are sufficiently healed by tomorrow, I shall have Norim prepare and deliver the herbal tea that will prevent conception. Should our rutting be as frequent as I suspect it may be, the herbal tea will become a part of your every day routine."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha felt dizzy with the implications of those words and once more could only utter a hushed, "Okay."

Pleased with his mate's seeming ease with the conversation, Sesshomaru asked, "Do you wish me to come to your rooms tomorrow? It is obvious you find my own somewhat distasteful."

Was Sesshomaru actually asking him which room he wanted to be fucked in? Head spinning, Inuyasha said the first thing that popped into his mind, "No, here's fine."

With that settled, Sesshomaru feared staying with Inuyasha any longer would completely undo his will and he would wind up doing exactly what he promised he would not. Standing, Sesshomaru was content when Inuyasha followed his lead. Clawed fingers gently wrapped around his hanyou's elbow, the InuYoukai led his mate back to the door separating their chambers, easily sliding the screen to the side while guiding Inuyasha back into his own rooms.

Desperately, Sesshomaru wanted to bury his nose within his hanyou's neck, licking the mating mark he'd left behind. But with his control so close to unraveling, the stoic InuYoukai gave a curt bow of his head, his words both clipped and cold as he stated, "Until tomorrow night."

Rooted to his spot, Inuyasha watched the door slide shut, Sesshomaru disappearing on the other side and leaving him feeling empty, sick and cold. Hands fisted tight, the hanyou's claws pressed heavily into his palms. Just barely, Inuyasha managed to quell the deep whine of confused hurt and unease he was feeling. Only last night he'd been afraid his mate didn't find his body alluring enough to sate his needs, and now . . . now he was worried that's all his mate saw him as . . . a hole to fuck, use and nothing more.

Eyes clenched tight, Inuyasha wanted to laugh at the notion that he would be getting any rest this night.

 _Well, Sesshomaru still doesn't really fully understand. As Inu no Taisho said earlier, we all hope Inuyasha has the patience to put up with Sesshomaru as he not only figures things out, but learns how to communicate them properly. Many of you are wondering why Sesshomaru doesn't just hold Inuyasha at night . . . he hinted at it here and will come up more in the future, but basically he doesn't think he can control himself as well as he'd like while around Inuyasha. Oddly enough, he's afraid he'll hurt him. Unfortunately Sesshomaru is thinking more along the lines of the physical and not emotional where that is concerned._

 _Next chapter will hopefully be up on Thursday. Until then, have a good week and thanks to all those that reviewed :-)_

 _lunamist_


	17. Chapter 17

_Good evening everyone. Got some interesting reviews last time. The ones that made me laugh talked about how odd it was that Sesshomaru was basically making an appointment with Inuyasha to get it on. I hadn't really thought of it that way, but I think you're right and that made me laugh so thanks for that one. Many of you are hoping that Inuyasha finds someone to help him figure things out. Well . . . let's maybe get him a little help in this chapter, shall we? It won't be all you're probably hoping for, but this chapter begins the path to them figuring out their issues. It may not start out that promising, but by the end, I hope you'll have a little, well . . . for lack of a better word, hope._

 _Chapter 17 . . ._

The following day went by in an odd type of haze for Inuyasha. His session with Lady Avietty had gone . . . well, besides the numerous scolding's and smacks of the old owl youkai's pointer upon his work table, Inuyasha wasn't really sure how it went. To save his life, he couldn't have recalled a single thing he'd learned that morning and given how testy Avietty could be . . . his very life might be exactly what was in jeopardy.

At times, the day seemed to linger while at the next moment he felt as though it was flying by. Looking around Sesshomaru's gilded cage of rooms, Inuyasha thought right now seemed like the latter instead of the former. Nervous and twitchy, he sat upon the large futon within his mate's private residence, wondering for the billionth time how his life had taken such an unexpected turn.

Ears swiveling high upon his head, Inuyasha heard the door to Sesshomaru's main chambers slide open and hoped he hadn't assumed wrong in entering without the bastard being present. Last night he'd kind of gotten the impression Sesshomaru wanted to get started as soon as possible. And so, here he sat, or had been sitting, for what seemed like an eternity.

Scenting Inuyasha's presence, Sesshomaru stifled the low growl of approval and need crawling from deep within him. Unfocused and eager, the Prince of the West had found his duties that day both tedious and irritating. Short tempered, more than once he'd taken his frustrations out on Jaken, stepping on or throwing whatever object was handy at the annoying kappa. Oddly enough, his retainer kept coming back for more, a fact that Sesshomaru found at once entertaining and idiotic.

Originally, Sesshomaru had planned on returning to his rooms much earlier, but the needs of the Western Lands had other plans and he'd been stuck in a seemingly endless string of meetings, most of which seemed utterly pointless. But finally, his duties were at an end, and his reward . . . taking in another deep and soothing breath, Sesshomaru knew what his reward was and moved further into the room, the vision of his hanyou anxiously sitting atop his bed, wearing only an informal, yet striking yukata, was far from disappointing.

Feeling his claws dig into his thighs, Inuyasha punishingly gripped his own flesh. Ears twisting back and into his hair, the hanyou's bright amber eyes met Sesshomaru's briefly before looking off to the side. "Hope ya don't mind. I wasn't really sure if ya wanted me to wait in my own room or just come on in. Guess it's pretty obvious which decision I went with."

Reaching up, Sesshomaru removed the ties of his light armor, easily removing the boney structure and casually laying it upon the floor. "I've no qualm with your choice. You are always welcome within these walls."

Silently, Inuyasha wondered just how many other youkai had gotten that privilege over the years. Last night Sesshomaru had hinted that not many got to see inside his personal chambers, but that didn't mean he hadn't had a favorite lover or two over the centuries that had sat on this very same bed. Gritting his teeth against such thoughts, Inuyasha simply nodded and whispered a quiet, "'Kay."

Moving ever closer, Sesshomaru looked like the true predator he was, but the type of sustenance he was after was far different than his usual fare. But just because he didn't intend to kill the prey sitting upon his bed did not mean said prey should feel any less threatened.

With each and every step, Sesshomaru felt his fragile self-restraint failing. Masaru was correct – he had definitely waited too long to claim his mate again. Feeling the pressure of his youkai pushing at his constraints, Sesshomaru took a moment to close his eyes, forcing his desires to calm for a few precious moments longer but could not keep the gruffness from his voice as he asked, "Inuyasha, this Sesshomaru trusts you have healed from yesterday's training."

Easily picking up the unusually strained tenor of his mate's voice, Inuyasha thickly swallowed. "I . . . I'm fine now."

Somewhere in the back of his still sane mind, Sesshomaru barely registered his hanyou's standard answer. "And you have taken the tea to stop conception?"

"I drank it when Norim told me to."

Gods above, Sesshomaru felt like he was almost at his limit. "And you understand that tonight . . . tonight will not be . . . gentle?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha took Sesshomaru's scent deep into his soul and shivered. He'd felt and scented arousal on the InuYoukai before, but never to this degree. Although new to such things, Inuyasha thought his mate smelled like he was being consumed with lust. Not for the first time, the hanyou wondered why Sesshomaru hadn't come to him earlier if he'd been in such need. Having no idea just how often pure InuYoukai needed to rut, Inuyasha had assumed it to be infrequent, but seeing how Sesshomaru was now, he'd obviously been wrong.

But no matter what was about to happen tonight, Inuyasha looked to the role he would play as nothing short of his job or more precisely, his duty. He had agreed to mate the Prince of the West and as submissive mate, it was his responsibility to sate his dominants needs. Sesshomaru might not want the kind of relationship Inuyasha craved, but he'd be damned if he was going to be so weak that his mate needed to find release in another simply because a half-breed wasn't up to the task.

Mind determined, Inuyasha took another deep, lust laced breath before looking straight into Sesshomaru's golden eyes. "Take what you need. I'll be fine."

Those words had barely passed through Inuyasha's lips before his eyes widened as he watched Sesshomaru's golden orbs turn bloody red, all restraint vanishing within the blink of an eye. And then, Sesshomaru was on him.

Rational thought gone, Sesshomaru allowed his youkai the release it had been craving. As their mate, the Western Prince had no fear for Inuyasha's life. There was nothing more precious to any youkai than their mate, whether it was considered a true bonding or not. But knowing how special his mating was with his hanyou, Sesshomaru knew, no matter what form he took, that he would protect his mate. But protecting from death did not mean Inuyasha wouldn't be harmed in some form or another, only that whatever harm that came would be something his hanyou should be able to heal from.

And so, with this knowledge, Sesshomaru did the only thing he could at that point – he let go.

:::::::::::

Leaning back in the warm water, Inuyasha would have felt near to boneless if it hadn't been for the pain his body was in. Last night had been . . . brutal. Not that he hadn't found his own enjoyment and release. In truth, he couldn't really remember how many times he'd come nor did he know how many times Sesshomaru had emptied himself either within Inuyasha's body or on top of it. At some point, Inuyasha had simply stopped counting.

Moving his arm up to scratch an itchy spot behind an ear, Inuyasha had to stifle a groan of pain. This morning, every damned inch of his body seemed to protest every little movement he made. Sure, he'd had a lot worse in his life, but the hanyou was fairly certain he'd never felt pain before in some of the places he was feeling it today.

Head tilting to the side, Inuyasha looked longingly at the different varieties of soaps and shampoos littering the side of his bath – all of them completely useless. By morning's light, Sesshomaru had finally seemed sated enough to allow him to leave. His mate had carried him into his rooms and lowered him into the steaming water; his final order was that Inuyasha was not to remove Sesshomaru's scent. Soaking in the water seemed fine, but using anything else that might disrupt his dominant's scent was not. And, given the working over he'd been through last night, Inuyasha just didn't have it in him to complain, much less go against Sesshomaru's wishes. Besides, as he looked over the soaps, Inuyasha was fairly certain the idea of even lifting one of them was beyond what he wanted to attempt.

Tilting his head back, the hanyou winced as a sharp pain flared up his neck. With the pads of his fingers, Inuyasha gently dabbed at the mating mark on his neck. Although he wasn't certain, Inuyasha thought Sesshomaru had sunk his teeth into that particular patch of skin almost as many times as cum had erupted from his cock.

Thinking of Sesshomaru's cock flushed Inuyasha's cheeks. Eyes slipping closed, the hanyou remembered all the places that particular piece of rock hard flesh had been over the past few hours and couldn't suppress the reflexive shiver that raced through his body. Hand drifting south, Inuyasha lightly probed his abused ass, finger tentatively slipping inside, only to halt almost immediately at the discomfort such action garnered.

Blowing out a deep breath, Inuyasha let his hands float to his sides, allowing the warm water to sooth his bruised and broken flesh. Finally feeling up to reaching for a cloth to begin rubbing Sesshomaru's seed from his skin, Inuyasha jumped when he heard Kitanya's voice from just outside the door. Dropping the cloth, the hanyou gave a hearty, "Fuck," before asking, "What was that?"

Kneeling on the other side of the door, Kitanya took a risk and slid the structure to the side, giving her a small opening to speak. "Pardon my intrusion, Inuyasha. Healer Norim is here."

"Shit." Pushing his body deeper into the water, Inuyasha's mouth pulled down into a deep frown. "There ain't nothin' here that needs his attention so tell him to go away."

Inuyasha's words did little to reassure Kitanya. Although she doubted he was aware, she'd seen Inuyasha's condition when Sesshomaru had carried the young half-breed in and placed him in the bath she'd prepared. From the small glimpses she'd seen, a healer wasn't uncalled for.

Brown eyes shifting in Norim's direction, Kitanya chewed on her bottom lip, torn between wanting to do what was best for the one who'd saved her and doing what that same person desired. Unfortunately, she doubted those two options were one and the same.

Seeing Kitanya's hesitancy as well as inner turmoil, Norim simply smiled before moving closer. Placing a hand on the bear submissive's shoulder, Norim squeezed lightly before stating, "Inuyasha, Prince Sesshomaru ordered me to examine you and I can not disobey a direct order from my prince. I know it is not your wish to cause me or the Lady Kitanya undue stress or punishment."

Head bent, Inuyasha's nose just barely kept from going under water, muttering a barely audible, "Fuckin' jackass," the hanyou finally lifted his head enough so that his next words wouldn't be so muffled. "Just give me a gods be damned minute and you can do what ya want."

Nodding his head once in Kitanya's direction, Norim gave another calm smile. "Do you require assistance getting out of the bath?"

"What?" Inuyasha felt his pride take yet another hit. "Fuck no! I can damned well get out of a hole full of water on my own."

Norim had expected the answer but had felt compelled to ask all the same. "Very well. When you are finished, I shall be waiting."

Head tilting back once more, Inuyasha silently cursed when he felt the back of his skull connect a little to harshly with the side of the bath. Irritated, the hanyou grabbed the soaked cloth in one hand and began removing the mess of the night before. Ignoring the burning pain of strained muscles, broken skin and torn flesh, Inuyasha did the best job he could, all the while trying to ignore the invasive and no doubt embarrassing exam he was about to be subjected to. Most likely this was something else he needed to get used to because if this what every time with Sesshomaru was going to be like, then his body needed to get a hell of a lot tougher, and not just his body, but his mind too.

Being with Sesshomaru last night had sent Inuyasha to the highest reaches of heaven and dropped him into the deepest depths of hell. How one could travel so far in a singular night was beyond the hanyou.

Having cleaned as much as he could, Inuyasha pulled his body from the bath. Even with all his past experience with physical pain, it was difficult to completely stifle the groan of agony threatening to burst from his chest. Taking a moment, the hanyou stood, hands on knees while bending low, attempting to catch his breath and collect himself before he had to go out there and face both Kitanya and Norim. With that thought, an even deeper pain sliced through Inuyasha's chest – the pain of unmitigated embarrassment.

Sucking in deeper and deeper breaths of air, Inuyasha finally managed to push both his emotional and physical pain down into the deep well of his soul. Head held high, he pulled the edges of his robe together and walked to the door, easily sliding it open while railing, "I don't see what all the fuss is about . . . "

::::::::::

Kneeling before his prince, Norim kept his facial features carefully blank, his true thoughts kept safely within the confines of his mind. Sesshomaru had asked him to come to him after he'd examined the hanyou and that was exactly what Norim had done. What the healer hadn't expected was the amount of anger he'd be feeling while giving that report.

When Sesshomaru had contacted him, Norim had thought his prince was most likely being overprotective, but after having seen the damage Inuyasha had taken last night . . . the healer could only seethe in silent discontent. Having been mated to a powerful dominant for several centuries, Norim was not unversed in how violent coupling could be, but never had he been left in such condition afterwards.

Kneeling behind his desk, a cup of hot tea at the ready, Sesshomaru watched Norim's carefully guarded face and could only guess as to the deer youkai's inner thoughts. Older than himself, the healer had centuries more practice at masking his emotions when he so desired. Normally, the Prince of the West would have little use for another's opinion, but Norim was one of the few youkai he actually respected. Still, what really mattered was his mate's condition and to that end, Sesshomaru finally asked, "You have examined Inuyasha?"

"I have."

Cold, calm and precise, not a hint of Norim's true emotions leaking through, it was a feat that impressed Sesshomaru. "Your conclusions."

Head tilted slightly to the side, Norim discretely scented the air, desperately trying to figure out his prince's own opinions and feelings regarding the events of the previous night. Overall, he thought Sesshomaru to be calmer than he'd been this past week, but beyond that, the healer couldn't tell. "If you are wondering if any permanent damage has been done, then it is my opinion that your mate will heal completely from the wounds inflicted upon him last night."

Cup of tea halfway to his mouth, Sesshomaru's hand halted momentarily at those loaded words. Norim's tone of voice had been smooth and cool – not even a hint of dissent. And yet, the words the healer had chosen were done so with intent. Norim was making it very clear what he thought without being disrespectful. Truly, the deer youkai had a gift.

Teacup continuing its path to Sesshomaru's lips, the InuYoukai drank the soothing fluid before placing the delicate cup back upon the table. "Do you know how quickly this Sesshomaru can expect his mate to heal?"

Instantly, Norim felt his muscles tense but kept his face carefully blank. "Being a half-breed, I am uncertain as to his exact rate of healing. One to two days has generally been enough when training with Masaru. However, the damage his body has suffered this time is more . . . extensive."

"I see."

Sitting as he was, Norim could feel his calm façade beginning to crack. Somehow he doubted his prince was asking that question simply for curiosity's sake. "You wish to rut him again?"

Leaning back, Sesshomaru allowed mokomoko to support much of his weight. Although he was nowhere near as damaged as Inuyasha, last nights . . . activities . . . had not been gentle on him either. However, despite the strain in his muscles, overall Sesshomaru felt an odd type of peaceful lethargy. Moreover, for the first time since claiming Inuyasha as his mate, Sesshomaru felt clarity of mind, as if the fog and tension that had been hanging over him had finally dissipated. Despite his concern for his mate, the Prince of the West had little doubt that the peace he was currently feeling would not be a lasting one. Soon both he and his youkai would desire their mate once again and now that he knew what denying such needs did, Sesshomaru knew that ignoring it would only lead to repeatedly harming Inuyasha. Last night had been the result of his own failings and his hanyou had paid the price – it was not a price Sesshomaru wanted Inuyasha to ever pay again.

Placing his poisonous claws upon his forehead, Sesshomaru allowed a rare glimpse of emotion to show – that of deep regret. The moment was all too brief, but more telling than any words. "Norim, you know the needs and desires of your own mate far better than this Sesshomaru. Is Masaru not more . . . desperate, if he is denied for a length of time?"

Shifting, Norim's cheeks flared with the same, intense heat thoughts of his dominant mate always brought to his mind. "Masaru's attentions are more aggressive if it has been a longer period of time, but he has never – " mouth snapping shut, Norim's teeth clenched against the words he almost spoke, but even though they were unspoken, the promise of them echoed loudly through the room. Bowing low, the healer felt his nose touch the floor as he spoke, "Forgive me, Prince Sesshomaru. It is not my place to judge how you treat your mate."

Golden eyes narrowed on the placating from before him, Sesshomaru wasn't so much angered by Norim's thoughts, but more because what the healer had meant to say was true and pushed at the InuYoukai's shame. Voice as cold as ever, Sesshomaru answered, "Be at ease, Healer Norim. Your concerns are no different than my own."

Rising, Norim nodded once but kept his eyes carefully averted in submission to his prince.

Pouring another cup of tea, Sesshomaru leaned forward once more, the warm substance doing little to soothe his troubled soul. "I've no wish to ever rut Inuyasha as I did last night. It is difficult to admit, but when it comes to the hanyou, I seem to have very little self-control. I've also no doubt that the ease last night's rutting has offered my body and mind shall wear off disturbingly fast. It is with these thoughts in mind that I inquire as to the speed of his recovery."

Swallowing hard, Norim nodded his head in understanding. If Sesshomaru truly didn't want a repeat of last night, then he would need to rut his mate more frequently. That made Inuyasha's healing abilities more critical than they would normally be. "I instructed Inuyasha to drink a tea that I believe will aid with his healing as well as sooth some of the pain he shall never admit to. I also applied a soothing balm to his entrance. Fortunately, there was no tearing or if there was, it had healed by the time of my exam. Although Inuyasha will no doubt hate it, if it is your wish, I shall examine him twice daily to better evaluate when his body might be able to receive you again."

"Inuyasha's opinion on the matter is of little importance, not when it is in regards to his health."

Norim wasn't exactly sure he agreed, but in the end, that fact made little difference as well. As a servant of the West, he was bound to do as his prince dictated. "I will inform Inuyasha of your decision."

"I believe it would also be wise to add your special tea to my mate's regular meals."

"You are speaking of the tea that halts conception?"

Staring down at his now empty cup, Sesshomaru's hands unconsciously squeezed, cracking the porcelain. "Male pregnancies are always more taxing upon the body. Inuyasha is barely into his adulthood and a half-breed as well. I will not endanger his life by risking a pregnancy at this stage in his life. The hanyou is too important to this Sesshomaru."

Finally smiling, Norim felt his earlier anger recede. Although his affection was currently manifesting as intense possessiveness, the seeds for more were growing quickly and would soon be lush enough for Sesshomaru to recognize his feelings for what they truly were. Certainly this did not make up for the abuse the young hanyou had taken last night, but there was hope and Norim would foster it in every way he could. "I will see to it."

"Good. Now if there is nothing further."

Taking the cue for what it was, Norim stood, bowing low before turning to leave. Hand on the sliding door; the healer hesitated for a moment before turning back to his prince. "Forgive me, but if I might offer a bit of advice?" At Sesshomaru's silent nod, Norim continued, "While it is true that releasing within my body is what Masaru needs, the physical act of rutting is not the only way his dominant youkai is soothed. I believe Masaru is calmed significantly simply from the touch of my skin, the scent of my body, the sound of my voice – all these things can soothe and refresh him as they soothe and refresh me. Might I recommend that you try some of these less . . . engaging activities?"

Listening, Sesshomaru digested Norim's words and could see the potential wisdom in them. "I shall consider you advice, healer."

"It is an honor that you would do so."

Unlike so many other youkai, Sesshomaru thought Norim's words more truth than pandering. Recently Sesshomaru had come to find that when something was spoken from a place of honesty, little was expected to be said in return. As such, the Prince of the West gave only the slightest inclination of his head, his silence speaking his appreciation.

::::::::::

Blankly staring down at the map in front of him, Inuyasha's mind was anywhere but where it was supposed to be. It had been well over three weeks since Sesshomaru had come to him and spoken of his _needs_. Of course the first night had been difficult, but things had certainly gotten better since then. Or, at least, the fucking wasn't nearly so intense or brutal. Most of the time, Sesshomaru only needed to come once inside him and that seemed to sate his mate. And every time, Inuyasha had also found physical pleasure in their acts. So far, his body seemed to be holding up and he was able to do his job as Sesshomaru's submissive mate adequately.

Inhaling deeply, Inuyasha flicked an ear at Avietty's distant voice, the sound as distant to his mind as Kaede's village. Blinking once, he absently traced a claw around the outline of some country he'd never heard of. Thinking about his mate seemed to be the full time job Inuyasha's brain had decided to accept. Shifting slightly, the hanyou considered that his ass wasn't nearly as sore as it had been even a week ago. Indeed, his body did seem to be adapting to his new role. If only his heart and mind could adapt as easily.

Eyes closing, the hanyou thought of their latest rutting. Over the past few weeks, Sesshomaru had seemed to figure out that most days, shoving his cock up Inuyasha's ass was needed at least once daily – sometimes twice, although the hanyou had no idea why those times were different. And they were different – more desperate. But no matter how many times a day, what time of day, or whether or not it was his room or Sesshomaru's, the outcome was almost always the same – Inuyasha spent the rest of the night sleeping alone. Once he'd been rutted, had filled his submissive role, Sesshomaru was done with him.

Oddly enough, rutting Sesshomaru actually seemed to be helping with his training with Masaru. Or at least the tiger youkai seemed to think so. Since he needed to keep his body as uninjured as possible to be able to take Sesshomaru, Inuyasha was slowly but surely learning to use his head more than his flesh when fighting. He still didn't think it much mattered as long as it was only himself that suffered, but the hanyou knew that if his mate thought him too damaged, Sesshomaru would abstain from rutting and Inuyasha saw that as a failure of his role within their relationship.

Sighing deeply, Inuyasha hadn't realized he'd audibly made any noise until Avietty's heavy pointer slammed down in front of him with an ear splitting, _Thwack!_

Jumping, Inuyasha's amber eyes flew wide, yet no matter his surprise, his orbs would never be close to the large roundness of Lady Avietty's own black eyes. Ancient even by youkai standards, age had dulled neither Avietty's intelligence nor agility. Nor it seemed, her temper.

Eyes glancing from the heavy rod of wood Avietty had slammed down on the table to the scowl covering his teacher's face, Inuyasha pulled is hands in tight, burying them within the simple kimono he wore. "What the fuck – "

 _Thwack!_

Jumping even higher, Inuyasha leaned back, a snarl forming on his lips. "Listen Lady, I don't know – "

"This is not our first meeting together and still you do not understand what you are being scolded for?" Blowing out a disgusted grunt, the white tipped feathers alighting Avietty's head ruffled with her annoyance. "And Sesshomaru said you were intelligent."

Now both offended and embarrassed, Inuyasha's puppydog ears flattened deep within his hair. "I ain't stupid, I – "

"You what? What excuse do you have for ignoring me while I speak? And then, when I seek to gain you attention, you have the audacity to use that foul, ignorant language as your answer. You have been warned repeatedly about using such words within my presence. I've neither the time nor the patience for such disrespect."

Teeth gritting, Inuyasha felt the sting of guilt pierce his chest. His mind had been anywhere but the room he was currently sitting in and he had been warned on numerous occasions not to curse in front of Avietty. Seemed like the old owl thought such language was a sign of uncouth heathenism. Head lowered and bangs covering his eyes, the hanyou stared down at his crossed legs as he lowly stated, "I'll do better, just don't say nothin' to Sesshomaru."

Back going straight as a board, Avietty blinked her large black eyes while studying the obviously distraught hanyou before her and what his true concern seemed to be. "Why would I tell Prince Sesshomaru anything about this?"

"-Keh, why wouldn't ya? I know the bastard is keepin' tabs on how my _lesson's_ are goin'."

At that, Avietty huffed. "My discussions with Lord Inu no Taisho's brat of a son are nothing for you to be concerned over. Most of the time you are an acceptable student and despite your obvious disinterest in what I have to teach, you are far more observant than Sesshomaru ever was when he was my pupil."

Head lifting, Inuyasha was genuinely curious. Everyone at the damn palace seemed scared as fuck of his dominant mate and real information was difficult to come by. But this youkai . . . this youkai was different. Avietty wasn't easy on him and he was getting the distinct impression that she'd been the same with Sesshomaru. "According to everybody else here, Sesshomaru is damn near to perfect in every conceivable way."

Face pinched at the curse, Inuyasha offered a quick apology before Avietty answered, "Of course that's what they'd say. When death becomes ones greatest fear, one will do anything and everything to placate that which can deliver death." Mouth thinning into a fine line, Avietty shook her head in disgust. "Respect is one thing and I will not argue that Sesshomaru has done his part to earn that, but too often what I am made to witness is something far removed from such a noble emotion. Fear is a tricky beast. Fear can save your life but it can also keep you from having a life to save. Many here fit into this category."

"But not you?"

Avietty only let out a short bark of laughter. "No." Sobering, the old owl stared deep into Inuyasha's eyes. "Do not misunderstand, young InuHanyou, it is not that I live with no fear, it is only that I have decided not to let it rule my actions. To me, that is no real kind of living."

Head cocked lightly to the side, Inuyasha thought over Avietty's words and wondered which category he fit into. As a pup, the sting of fear was a constant companion. Fear had saved his life on many occasions, but it had also bitterly chipped away at his soul, so much so that at some point he'd had to shed that mantle of fear and learn that death was simply a consequence of life. Although he did not court Death and did his utmost to stay as far away from the grave as possible, the hanyou also did not let the fear of pain or death stop him from doing what was necessary – what he deemed right.

Eyes shifting away and to the side, Inuyasha tapped a claw upon the map before him. "I think I know what ya mean."

Again, Avietty only huffed with annoyance. "Of course you do. If you didn't, I wouldn't be standing here wasting my time with you." Wise enough to realize her pupil was in no state of mind to learn anything, Aviety finally sat, her ancient knees folded beneath her with no more effort than a youkai a third her age. Hands neatly settled before her, the old owl looked into Inuyasha's confused eyes and rolled her own. "Really now? Does this truly come as a surprise?"

Inuyasha had never done well with praise, and although Avietty's words were not exactly that, they were close enough to cause him to begin fidgeting. "I . . . uh, well . . . most don't have much use for a half-breed. I'd just sort-a assumed you were doin' this 'cause Sesshomaru ordered ya to."

Eyes narrowed, Avietty's beak-like mouth curled up into an offended snarl. "Do you truly believe that runt could order me to do anything?"

 _Runt_? Gaping, Inuyasha stared at Avietty and wondered if those great orbs she called eyes could actually see a damn thing. "You think Sesshomaru's a runt?" God's above, Sesshomaru stood at least a good foot or two above him. True, his mate wasn't as physically large as the current Lord of the West, but that didn't mean Sesshomaru was small – did it?

"No matter how big the prince gets, to me he will always be nothing more than the small, arrogant InuYoukai I first met." Mischievous light dancing in her dark eyes, Avietty smiled. "Sesshomaru was not always the striking figure he is today. In fact, Lord Inu no Taisho worried that his son would forever remain small and frail looking. It wasn't until the prince was well into his formative years that his growth spurt finally hit."

Inuyasha could hardly imagine a physically short version of Sesshomaru. Most likely he would have looked more cute and cuddly than cruel and vicious. Smiling for what felt like the first time in weeks, Inuyasha gave a soft laugh. "I don't suppose there are any portraits of him then?"

"Ha," Avietty chuckled, "only if they managed to escape the business end of his whip."

Soft laugh turning into an all out fit, Inuyasha gripped his belly as he doubled over – visions of Sesshomaru going through the palace, energy whip flashing as he eradicated all evidence that he was ever small. "That sounds like somethin' the bastard would do."

"Indeed. If I remember correctly, Lord Inu no Taisho was far from pleased." Sighing, Avietty settled back as she relaxed. "But, as it is all too often, what Sesshomaru wants, Sesshomaru gets. And, in this instance, what he wanted was to destroy anything that made him appear as less than he thought it should. That boy's ego is a force all it's own and one that needs to be brought down a notch or two." Intelligent eyes staring into Inuyasha's wide amber ones, Avietty pointed a clawed finger in the hanyou's direction as she added, "And that, dear hanyou, is exactly why I like you. Finally, the prince has met his match – his equal. You shall teach Sesshomaru lessons that no other could and these are lessons that he must learn if he is to be the leader he believes himself to be – the leader that I believe him truly capable of being."

Blinking once, Inuyasha thought for a moment that Avietty was still jesting, but the sobering look within her eyes spoke otherwise. "Listen, I don't mean to burst this crazy ass fantasy you seem to be livin' in, but I'm just Sesshomaru's submissive mate. I don't have any control over that jackass. I'm just here to . . . to sate his needs and one day carry the next heir of the West. That's about all the use Sesshomaru has for me."

Pulling back, Avietty all but hissed. "Foolish boy, is that what you truly believe?"

More confused than irritated, Inuyasha simply shrugged his shoulders as he answered, "Yeah, because that's all I am." Thinking Avietty thought him rude and ungrateful, Inuyasha hastened to add, "Listen, I ain't complainin' or nothin'. I'm a half-breed and I never thought any dominant would want to mate me, let alone the Prince of the West. Sesshomaru's title ain't why I agreed to mate him though."

Both disturbed and curious about her pupil's words, Avietty began wondering just what her old student was doing to his submissive mate to make Inuyasha feel this way. "May I ask then why you did agree to mate Prince Sesshomaru?"

Reaching a foot up, Inuyasha scratched behind a puppydog ear before answering, "Well, I don't know for sure. Seemed like a good idea at the time." Blowing out a deep breath, the hanyou shook his head. "That ain't really true, well, at least not completely. Truth be told, I liked the way the bastard smelled. It was confusin' really. I . . . I should have run as fast as I could in the other direction when I felt how powerful Sesshomaru's youkai felt. That would have been the sane thing to have done, but I didn't. As stupid as it sounds, I just wasn't that afraid. I should have been, but I wasn't." Head bent down so that his bangs covered his eyes, Inuyasha thought back to that day and sighed. "Then there was Kaede and Kitanya to think about."

"You speak of the human miko that runs the village you stayed within?"

"Yeah. It's a bit of a long story and I don't really wanna get into it right now." In truth, Inuyasha sometimes hated even thinking about Kaede – wondering how she was doing with him gone, if she had enough firewood for the upcoming winter, if her food stores were stocked, if she was well or if old age and disease had finally claimed her.

And then there was the guilt he felt. Kaede had asked him to write to her and he'd yet to ink a letter. Sure, he'd started once or twice, but each and every time, he'd lost his nerve. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her what was going on (well, maybe not about the fucking part), but he did want to let her know that he was well and being treated better than he probably should be. But the fear of getting no response, or worse, getting a letter from one of the villagers telling him that she was ill or . . . dead . . . Inuyasha just didn't think he could take it. The fear of that discovery kept him from keeping his word and in that moment, the hanyou realized he'd been doing the very thing Avietty had just counseled against – letting the fear of what could be keep him from what he most wanted to do.

Conceding to the hanyou's wishes, Avietty did not question him further about his miko, but thought she would very much like to meet the human before she passed from the world of the living. "And Kitanya, what did your servant have to do with such an important decision?"

"First off, Kitanya shouldn't even be a servant, let alone mine. But no matter how much I say that, everyone else seems to have a different opinion. Since I couldn't convince her otherwise, it was my duty to see that Kitanya was well taken care of. Knowin' that I'd soon be livin' out in the wilds again, just tryin' to survive . . . well, that ain't no kind of life for her. Plus, Kitanya is a pure bear youkai submissive, she could more than make a good match and live the kind of life she was always meant to. I thought by bein' here, she could meet a good dominant – a youkai that would be worthy of her."

Eyelids lowering ever so slightly, Avietty wondered at the hanyou's continued inability to understand his own self-worth. Could he not see the nobility of his own actions? And why in the gods' names hadn't Sesshomaru done anything to fix his mate's misconceptions? With over a month passed since their mating, Inuyasha shouldn't still have these kinds of doubts, especially about his own relationship with his dominant.

Muscle's tightening, Avietty thought most likely all this was due to Sesshomaru's own stupidity, or at least, the stupidity of his actions. For such an intelligent youkai, her old student's stunted emotions and inability to properly identify and express his own feelings, was mind-blowingly disappointing. And yet, not unexpected.

Well, she would get to the bottom of things and straighten Sesshomaru out one way or another. Unfortunately, asking Inuyasha more about things was most likely not the right route to venture. No, the hanyou was exceedingly shy about matters of intimacy and highly doubted he'd share anything more personal. Inuyasha was also not one to speak of what he considered private issues. It was a trait she found refreshing and did not want to spoil with her inquiries, even if such inquires were noble in nature.

No, she would not be the one to gather the information required, but knew of the perfect youkai for such a mission. Hearing a light knock at her door, Avietty's mouth broke out into a wide, knowing smile. As luck would have it, the youkai best suited for this particular mission was also the one who'd come to collect her pupil. Plan now set in her mind, Avietty called, "Miroku, you may enter."

Sliding the door to the side, Miroku walked in, the rings on his staff musically tinkling as he offered his respect by bowing in Avietty's direction. "My Lady, you are looking as beautiful as ever."

"As usual, you waste precious energy and air on such useless flattery."

Whispering a barely heard, "Idiot monk," Inuyasha could only roll his eyes while standing. Still, Avietty's response did bring back his smile. The old owl's tongue was sharper than her talons.

Holding an offended, bead laced hand to his chest, Miroku looked mortally wounded. "My Lady, hailing your beauty is hardly a waste of either of those things."

Reaching forward, Inuyasha grabbed Miroku's arm as he began pulling him out. "You really do wanna die young, don't ya?"

"I've no intention of doing such a thing."

"Intention or no, you sure are doin' a damn fine job of pissin' powerful youkai off." Giving a sigh, Inuyasha began tugging again, all the while muttering, "I don't know why the bastard keeps insistin' on ya comin' to pick me up and escort my half-breed ass around. I damn well know how to get to my room and back by now."

"Inuyasha!" Avietty's cold voice sliced through the air, "Language."

Stopping in his tracks, Inuyasha's head ducked down as he offered a quiet, "-Keh, sorry," while Miroku happily chuckled in the background, the monk tilting his staff as he said, "Looks like I'm not the only one aiming to get maimed."

Inuyasha had more than a few choice curses on the tip of his tongue, but was luckily saved from Avietty's impending wrath when the owl youkai interrupted, "Miroku, might I have a word in private before you escort Prince Inuyasha back to his chambers?"

Surprised and a more than a little wary as to why Avietty might want to speak with him, Miroku looked to Inuyasha only to see the hanyou already heading for the door.

Finally feeling like he might be catching a break, Inuyasha saw the reluctant look on the monk's face and waved a hand in dismissal. "We both know I don't need ya, so don't worry about it."

"Inuyasha, Prince Sesshomaru – "

"I know what the jackass said and now I'm sayin' that I'm more than capable of walkin' back to my room, or wherever the hell I wanna go, on my own. I ain't gonna be coddled the rest of my life."

Hand tightening down upon his staff, Miroku knew he agreed, but to go against Sesshomaru's orders certainly wasn't considered a good way to stay within the land of the living. Heaving a great sigh, the monk put his faith in Buddha and let his body relax. "Well then, my friend, I suppose I will see you later. Please, for my sake, do not do anything foolish."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha grumbled something about not being able to get into any trouble in this prison before disappearing out the door and down a hall.

Eyes still fixed upon the site Inuyasha had exited from, Miroku barely heard Avietty's footfalls as they neared and didn't bothering turning as he heard her say, "You did the right thing, Sesshomaru's keeping that boy on too tight a leash."

Again, Miroku couldn't find it in himself to argue. Eyes briefly closing, the monk took in a deep breath and resigned himself to the fact that he'd made the decision and would abide the consequences. Plastering his signature smile upon his face, Miroku finally turned his attention to the old owl youkai before him. "Now then, my lovely lady, how may I be of service?"

Raising a single feathered eyebrow at the monk's audacity, Avietty grunted before motioning to the low table she'd recently shared with Inuyasha. "Might as well sit down and get comfortable, monk. We've a fair amount to discuss and most of it far from pleasant."

Concern increasing, Miroku followed Avietty's lead. Adjusting his robes and laying down his staff, the monk stared across the table, all mischief erased from his normally twinkling eyes. "Am I to assume this has something to do with Inuyasha?"

Nodding once, Avietty settled back and began, "I've need of your . . . unique services, Miroku . . . "

 _Never fear, Miroku will be on the job! We've still got a bit to go, but we're finally starting down the right track. Also, what did you all think of the image of Sesshomaru using his energy whip to destroy all evidence of him when he was on the smaller side of life? Don't know why I thought of that, but it still makes me chuckle._

 _On a personal note, I would just like to say that tonight I am shedding a tear that it is John Stewart's last night as host of the Daily Show. I love that man. He has the unique ability to make me laugh and think seriously within a very short period of time. John, you will be missed :-(_

 _Next chapter should be up on Sunday. Just as an FYI, I haven't gotten any reviews yet about something that keeps cropping up in multiple chapters that has a major bearing on the story . . . hmmmmm . . . just saying . . ._

 _Until next time, have a good remainder of the week and stay safe._

 _lunamist_


	18. Chapter 18

_Happy Sunday night everyone. Some of you sort of figured out what I was hinting at at the end of the last chapter in the A/N's. He, he . . . time will tell. Also been getting lots of questions like: what about that weird presence when Inuyasha was on the way to the mating ceremony, when will Inuyasha find out about his father, and what about Tessaiga? Also, the every present question of when will Inuyasha and Sesshomaru figure their shit out. Well, we'll start getting to those in the chapters coming up. Many (not all), but many of you have been patient and been sticking with me throughout this whole Inuyasha and Sesshomaru miscommunication thing and I thank you for that. In my mind we couldn't really get there any quicker, but understand that it can be irritating. With that in mind, I'm posting 2 chapters tonight. I didn't want to combine them, but chapter 19 should be up probably an hour or so after I post this one. Hopefully. I hope that makes many of you happy. By the time you get to the end of the next chapter, I'm hoping you're very happy :-)_

 _Oh, and I'm glad so many of you liked Avietty and Miroku's soon to be involvement in the whole saga. Go monk!_

 _Chapter 18 . . ._

Leaving Avietty's rooms, Inuyasha rolled his shoulders and tried to find some measure of peace. It was rare that he had moments like these alone, or at least moments alone that he wasn't locked up in his rooms. Then again, he wasn't alone much there either, not with Kitanya around all the time. And although he really didn't mind her company, the hanyou was beginning to feel trapped. Much of his life had been spent out of doors; free to come and go whenever and wherever he pleased. Now he was stuck inside most of the time and seemed to be on one schedule or another. His mornings were spent in lessons with Avietty and his afternoons in training with Masaru. And now his nights . . . well, at least parts of his nights were spent under Sesshomaru.

Bare feet padding down the corridor, Inuyasha nodded to servants here and there, still disturbed that they bowed and lowered their eyes to him. But it was the silence that surrounded them that mostly disturbed him. It was as if they were afraid to speak when he was around – like they were afraid of something.

Shifting within his kimono, Inuyasha felt itchy, as if he didn't belong in this new skin of his. After being here a little over a month, he'd thought he'd start getting used to things. Instead, all he felt was an ever-increasing notion that he didn't belong and that everyone seemed to know it but no one had the balls to say it.

Head held up, Inuyasha kept his eyes staring straight ahead as he rounded another corner, his clawed toes lightly tapping the wooden planks below. With each step he took there came an odd easing to his chest. For whatever reason, the closer he got to his destination, the more his muscles began to relax.

Turning one last corner, the hanyou finally came to the doors he was seeking, the doors that led to a beautifully comforting set of rooms. Sliding the doors back, Inuyasha stepped inside, the air stale yet soothing all at the same time. Quickly closing the doors behind him, the hanyou walked further into the room, his eyes captivated by the same thing that had called him nearly two weeks prior. And call to him seemed to be the right words. There, pulsing with an unidentifiable energy, quiescently hanging upon the wall opposite him, was a sword.

Softly smiling, Inuyasha closed those final few feet, running his hand along the sheath of the sword, the pads of his fingers lightly touching the hilt, its reassuring pulse easing up his skin. Reverently, the hanyou ran his skin over almost ever inch of the sheathed sword, lovingly petting it as one would a treasured creature.

Pulling the sword off the wall, Inuyasha eased his body down upon one of the many fur rugs covering the floor, the sword laid over his lap as he stared down on it. Whisper soft, the hanyou began speaking, unsure why it soothed him to do so. "Hey there. I finally got some time alone again. Can't really stay that long but I couldn't resist comin' when I had the chance."

Letting out a deep sigh, Inuyasha wondered if he really was starting to loose his mind. Kouga would definitely think so if he heard him talking to an old, rusted sword. At the thought of his wolf friend, Inuyasha's happy smile turned sad. "Wonder what dogbreath is up to now. Most likely he's already mated and has a litter of pups on the way." Silently the hanyou wondered if he'd ever see Kouga again and felt bitter resentment that he most likely never would.

Feeling a stronger pulse from the sword in his hands, Inuyasha looked down to see that he'd been gripping the sword's sheath harder than he'd intended. "Oh, sorry 'bout that. It's just . . . " sighing again, Inuyasha's hand went back to stroking sword's hilt. "I guess I'm just thinkin' about things that are better off forgotten." Speaking of forgotten . . . the hanyou's eyes traveled around the room that felt so surprisingly comfortable. Not for the first time, he wondered whose rooms these had been. Obviously, it had been someone of great importance but their scent was so stale as to almost be nonexistent. Lifting his nose to the air, Inuyasha took in a deep breath and shook his head in confusion. It was much the same as the last time – something old and barely there laced with more recent hints of Lord Inu no Taisho and just a touch of Sesshomaru. Out of all those scents, it was Inu no Taisho's that seemed to be the most prominent, and the most . . . sad.

Clutching the sword to his chest, Inuyasha felt a different type of pulse race through him echoing the melancholy scent that the Lord of the West had left behind. Head shaking, Inuyasha wished he knew who used to call these rooms their home. When he was here, the hanyou felt safe and oddly wanted. Even more than his own rooms, the place felt like home, or at least as close as he was going to get to it in the Western Palace.

Standing, Inuyasha went to the room's balcony and stepped outside, the soft, cloying scent of flowers soothing his senses. Being on the opposite side of the palace, these rooms were just as high up as his, but they overlooked rolling green hills dotted with flower gardens. Inuyasha had walked through almost every garden surrounding the Western Palace and found them to be gorgeous but far too tame. Manicured to within and inch of their lives, the foliage of those places were trimmed and trained until there was nothing left of their natural wonder. But here . . . here the land had been left to run free – a riot of color, texture, and growth. Below him there was a wildness that he missed and longed to explore.

Here, the scent of the sea was still present, but it was mere background noise. And although he loved his view of the sea, it was fast becoming simply a visual expression of his own turbulent soul. It was difficult to look at and far from soothing.

Leaning further out, Inuyasha glimpsed the sun and frowned. Soon he would be expected down on the training field with Masaru and before that, he really needed to try and eat something. Heart heavy, Inuyasha walked back into the room and eased the sword back onto the wall, patting the sheath in apology. "Sorry, but I told ya I couldn't stay long." Head tilted to the side, Inuyasha stared at the piece of rusted iron he knew was hidden underneath. He didn't know why he was so fascinated by what was obviously a useless old sword. He also didn't know if what he felt when he was around it was real or not. He'd heard some stories regarding the swords at Inu no Taisho's side as well as the one his own mate carried, but those were things reserved for pure, powerful youkai, not half-breeds like him.

Head shaking, Inuyasha finally turned, a hushed, "I'll try and visit again soon," falling from his lips as he began making his way toward the sliding doors. Stepping out into the hall, not for the first time did Inuyasha consider asking about the sword and rooms, but to do so would be admitting that he was most likely wandering around in a part of the palace that Sesshomaru didn't want him in, and to top it off, he was wandering around alone. Most likely that would be the quickest route to never being allowed to come back again and for whatever reason, the very thought of never being able to enter those rooms again – to never feel the pulse of that sword in his hands – was devastating.

Hands shoved deep within the sleeves of his kimono, Inuyasha began walking, only to stop, his ears shifting back and forth atop his head. Scenting the air, as usual, the hanyou could smell nothing, but all the same, the small hairs on his body lifted ever so slightly, his sense of self-preservation on high alert. And then, just as with all the other times, the feeling passed into nothingness, leaving Inuyasha wondering if he'd simply imagined the threat.

Blowing out a deep breath, Inuyasha began walking again, grumbling, "Maybe I am goin' batshit crazy."

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Miroku wondered if he squeezed his beaded hand any tighter if the ancient wood of his staff would finally give way under the pressure. He'd had one very disturbing conversation with Lady Avietty and had immediately gone to seek Inuyasha out. Only, when he'd gone to the hanyou's rooms, he wasn't there. He'd barely turned when Inuyasha had come around the corner, his face obviously looking as if he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't. After taking a moment to reprimand the hanyou for not coming directly back to his rooms, Miroku had attempted to find out more information regarding Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's relationship.

But that had been an utter and complete failure. Already defensive about being questioned as to where he'd been, Inuyasha had immediately shut down when questions regarding the recent changes in his physical relationship with his mate. In the end, all Miroku had managed to get out of him was a forcefully yelled, "I'm doin' my job and he ain't complainin' so fuck off."

And there it was, a repeat of the same words he'd used with Avietty, that somehow the hanyou viewed his position as the mate of the Prince of the West as a _job_. That was not what a submissive mate should feel like. Whatever Sesshomaru had done to impart that impression needed to be remedied, quickly.

Consequently, Miroku was now striding, the metal of his staff chiming loudly as he strode down the halls leading to where his prince undoubtedly was. Soon Inuyasha would be starting his afternoon training with Masaru and the monk was well aware of the InuYoukai's penchant for watching. What he needed to do was get to Sesshomaru first so that they might speak while Inuyasha was otherwise occupied.

Soon Miroku found himself before the door of Sesshomaru's study. Eyes closed, the monk forced his body and youkai to relax. Buddha knew that going in with the level of anger currently flowing through his body would lead only to his death. If such an event would solve this whole mess . . . well, Miroku wouldn't go to that fate gladly, but he would sacrifice whatever was necessary to preserve the lands that cradled and preserved him when he was unable to fend for himself. But for better or worse, the monk doubted very much that provoking Sesshomaru to such a level would result in anything other than bloodshed.

Chanting a silent, yet soothing prayer to Buddha, Miroku felt peace push the rage from his soul, his mind clearing as thoughts of violence left. And as the malice dissipated, the monk eased his hold on the staff constantly at his side. Breathing in a final deep and cleansing breath, Miroku felt his lips turn up into their trademark, gentle, beguiling smile before his hand rose to the door. Tapping lightly, Miroku waited only a fraction of a second before hearing Sesshomaru's cold voice bidding him entry.

Easily sliding the door to the side, Miroku entered and immediately bowed. "Excuse my intrusion, my prince."

Signing one more of a seemingly endless stream of papers, Sesshomaru didn't even bother looking up from his task. There were still two more missives that required his attention before he could leave to observe Inuyasha's training and the monk's presence was far from a welcome distraction. Having felt Miroku's approach and subsequent hesitation before knocking, Sesshomaru had foolishly hoped the infuriating monk had changed his mind about bothering him.

Rolling up his latest signed report, Sesshomaru dropped the scroll on top of the load currently drowning his retainer, Jaken. And, as usual, the InuYoukai ignored the grunt of pain the latest addition caused the small kappa. Reaching for the next task, Sesshomaru finally answered, "This Sesshomaru's time is limited, monk. State what you need and leave me in peace."

Not the least bit deterred, Miroku's smile widened before shuffling forward and kneeling in front of Sesshomaru's desk. He was rewarded with narrowed, golden eyes briefly landing upon his assumed position, a cold, "This conversation requires you to lounge before me?" falling from Sesshomaru's lips.

Fortunately, the monk was used to Sesshomaru's icy demeanor and in response only reached for a nearby teacup, pouring a healthy drought of the soothing substance and sipping it appreciatively before finally speaking. "Do you realize how difficult it is to actually catch you alone, my prince?" At Sesshomaru's continued silent and deadly stare, Miroku only chuckled. "Please be at ease, what I have to say shall only take a few moments of your time."

"You have already taken up more than a few moments of this Sesshomaru's time."

Miroku only shook his head, his mind carefully calculating his words. "I have only come to congratulate you on how you are getting along with your mate. I must say, I did have my concerns regarding your abilities to meet Inuyasha's needs, to make him feel comfortable and worthy of his new role, but it appears as if, for once, my concerns were ill founded."

Slowly blinking, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed for a whole host of new reasons. Conversations with the monk were rarely as simple as they appeared on the surface. "Your interest in my mate is unwelcome, Miroku. I suggest you tread lightly."

Holding up his hands, Miroku's eyes went wide with false innocence. "You know I have no interest in your mate, my prince." Sighing dramatically, Miroku took another sip of his tea. "I too am a submissive and as difficult as it is for me to say, I am jealous of your relationship with Inuyasha. If only Lady Sango were as attentive to my needs as you appear to be with the hanyou."

"Unless Lady Sango has completely lost control of her senses, it is my understanding that she has not yet made a proposition of mating with you."

"My prince, you wound me."

Sesshomaru almost sneered as he replied, "Doubtful."

Head cocked slightly to the side, Miroku smirked, his eyes glinting in the sun filtering in through a nearby window. "Well, be that as it may, my earlier statement still stands. It is well known that you and I have not always seen eye to eye. Perhaps that is why I found it necessary to commend you on your treatment of your mate. Given Inuyasha's life so far, I was concerned that you would be incapable of offering the type of comfort the hanyou would need."

Beside him, Sesshomaru heard a small thud and looked over to find the kappa passed out below the weight of scrolls he'd been holding. Mouth pulling into a tight line, Sesshomaru marveled at the weakness of his retainer and knew that if Jaken weren't so sickeningly loyal, he'd have obtained a more useful servant long ago.

Having heard Jaken's ungraceful, _thud_ , Miroku's eyebrows tilted up while taking another sip of his tea. Setting the cup down again, the monk eased a wrinkle from his robes before inquiring, "Is Jaken unwell?"

Sesshomaru's response was immediate and expected. "Jaken's health is of no concern."

Chuckling, Miroku shook his head. "No? Well, I suspect he will be fine."

Ignoring his retainer and Miroku's questions regarding Jaken's fainting, Sesshomaru turned his attention back to the monk's last statement regarding Inuyasha. The damned dimensional youkai was blathering on about something regarding his mate and _comfort_. "A half-breed Inuyasha may be, but he is far from in need of pampering. My mate has proven quite resilient both on the battlefield and in the acts of mating. Coddling him would be seen as an insult."

Silently sitting, Miroku took in Sesshomaru's words and quickly began piecing things together. "Of course I meant no disrespect to Inuyasha's capabilities. Physically the hanyou is quite capable indeed. I was merely alluding to the emotional trauma your mate suffered through most of his life. I would imagine this is the first time in his young life that he has felt so truly desired and needed." Shaking his head in disgust at the little he knew of Inuyasha's past, Miroku added, "He has felt so unneeded, so alone and unwanted within the world, it must be a great comfort for him to know just how much his strong, powerful, dominant desires and needs him." Sparing a quick glance at his prince, Miroku looked down, his hand once more reaching for his teacup as he readied his next words. "I know you care little for my opinion, but I am just so pleased and proud that you have found a way to make Inuyasha realize his value, that he does not view his position in your life as a submissive partner's _job_ , but realizes the importance with which you value and treasure his life." Eyes now to the ceiling, Miroku looked wistful. "If only I too could experience the joy of making love with my Lady, spending the night in her strong arms, waking to the dawn with her skin pressed into mine. To know that we have an eternity of such moments and that I am more to her than a sexual release. Now that . . . that would be as close to heaven as a youkai can dream."

Body still and focused, Sesshomaru listened to the monk's words and felt confusion flood his soul, making his youkai bristle with restless energy. He didn't know why the words disturbed him so much. Just because it was the monk's desire to have such a relationship did not mean that it was the same for his own mate. Sesshomaru need look no further than his own parents for that. And yet, those damn words made him ill at ease. He'd meant what he'd said earlier. Inuyasha had never desired codling and so Sesshomaru had never made a move to do so. Shifting uneasily, the InuYoukai knew that wasn't the only reason he'd refrained from spending the night with his mate. True, rutting Inuyasha on a more regular basis more than served to relieve most of he and his youkai's desires and needs, but the temptation of having his hanyou within his bed . . . for the entire night . . . Sesshomaru knew he would be unable to abstain from taking Inuyasha again, perhaps multiple times within a night's time. He could damage his mate and after seeing the aftermath of that night, the first since their official mating that he had rutted Inuyasha, his hanyou had been forced to endure more pain than pleasure and that wasn't something Sesshomaru wanted to repeat – ever.

Keeping his silence as thoughts whirled within his mind, Sesshomaru quietly sat, his eyes distant yet retaining their typical cold distain for the world.

Allowing the silence to hold for a few, undisturbed moments, Miroku continued drinking his tea. All in all, he thought his talk had gone well. Buddha knew he'd certainly given Sesshomaru a little food for thought. Pleased with the seeds he'd sewn, the monk reached down, gripping his staff and using the old wood to help push his body off the floor. Still smiling brightly, Miroku bowed once more. "Forgive me for taking up so much of your time, my prince. I simply wanted to relay my good wishes and positive regard for fulfilling your role as a good dominant mate for Inuyasha."

Internally shaking himself, Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed down to mere slits. "As you stated earlier, your opinions on such matters mean little to this Sesshomaru."

Expecting such a comment, Miroku's smile widened all the more. "Ah yes, so you did. But, as we both know, that has seldom stopped me from espousing them."

At the answering silence, Miroku threw a final glance in Jaken's direction and asked, "Would you like for me to ask Norim to examine your retainer?"

Sesshomaru's answer was painfully short. "Leave."

Knowing that he'd more than outworn his welcome, Miroku began backing away, a friendly, "Enjoy the rest of your day, my prince," falling from his lips as he slid the door shut behind him. Steps light upon the wooden planks below his feet, Miroku was pleased with his visit, but sadly, only time would tell if his carefully chosen words bore fruit. At the end of the day, Sesshomaru was, if nothing else, frustratingly stubborn after all.

Still kneeling behind his desk, Sesshomaru's eyes stared down at the paper before him, the words upon the page nothing more than a hazy blur. Before he knew it, the scent of his own poison wafted into his nose and the Prince of the West turned to find his clawed nails oozing the deadly substance, the wood on his desk hissing as it was slowly being eaten away.

Frustrated at his loss of control, the InuYoukai quickly pulled his hand away, willing his poison back within his body. Remaining where he was, Sesshomaru quietly sat, Jaken's soft snores little more than background noise. And as the afternoon drifted into evening, the Prince of the West remained where he was, the last two documents on his desk receiving no more of his attention and left to waste away until later. Sesshomaru never did make it to observe Inuyasha's training that day.

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Walking back to his rooms, Inuyasha barely felt the ache of his latest bruise. All told, he thought he was doing better in his training with Masaru. His wounds were significantly less than they once were and he was actually starting to land a few damning blows on the tiger youkai. But most of all, he was managing to keep his injuries down enough so that he could still be of use to Sesshomaru at night.

And speaking of his trainer, eyes drifting to the side and up, Inuyasha felt a whole new wash of irritation flood his pride at Masaru's continued presence. For whatever reasons, Sesshomaru hadn't shown up to his training session and the tiger didn't think his bastard of a dominant mate would be happy if Inuyasha didn't have an escort back to his rooms.

Hands stuffed deep within the sleeves of his firerat, Inuyasha huffed. "You know I can damn well handle walkin' back to my rooms all on my own. I ain't some prissy, weak-ass submissive ya know."

Looking down, Masaru frowned before nodding. "I, perhaps more than anyone, am aware of you abilities. What I am also aware of are Prince Sesshomaru's abilities and as such, am not inclined to test them at the moment."

Muttering under his breath something about everyone in the damn palace being whipped, Inuyasha kept walking, finally ending up out side the door to his own rooms where he bid Masaru a cursory goodbye. Irritated that Masaru had insisted on walking him back and thus denying the hanyou another chance to secretly visit that room and sword, Inuyasha barely nodded to Kitanya before making his way to the bath.

That evening, as almost every evening, Inuyasha had a quiet meal with Kitanya with Sesshomaru nowhere to be found. Although that was typical, what wasn't was when Jaken showed up at his door, a small rolled scroll in his tiny hand. Quickly grabbing and unrolling the paper, Inuyasha never noticed the exceedingly minimal amount of deference and respect the small kappa showed. However, such a slight was far from lost upon Kitanya and the bear submissive made a mental note to rectify that situation as soon as possible. Over the past few weeks, she'd made significant strides with most of the servants working within the palace. Soon it would be Jaken's turn as well.

Watching the diminutive kappa waddle away, Kitanya finally turned her attention on Inuyasha. Overall, the hanyou had been unusually quiet since arriving from training but now he wasn't just quiet but frowning. Concerned, Kitanya moved a little closer. "Inuyasha, is something wrong?"

Ear twitching, Inuyasha stared down at the minimal kanji, the words short and succinct without a hint as to why they'd been written. _Was anything wrong?_ Truly, he didn't know. What he did know was that those few words were twisting his gut into something painful, making his recent meal like a leaden weight within his stomach.

Mouth set into a thin line, Inuyasha's finger's curled around the fragile piece of paper, crushing it easily. Shoulder's stiff and thrown back, the hanyou made his way toward the balcony, his emotionless words drifting back to Kitanya. "Do whatever ya want. The bastard says he doesn't need me tonight."

Hands clasped in front of her, Kitanya's claws dug deep into her flesh with pulsating worry. Inuyasha never spoke of his nights with Prince Sesshomaru and had never returned in as poor of condition as he had that very first morning. But that was also the last morning that he'd returned. From what she'd witnessed, Sesshomaru rutted Inuyasha and left. And although that puzzled the bear submissive, she felt it was not her business to inquire into their personal relationship. Most likely such inquiries would not be welcome.

Worrying her bottom lip with a fang, Kitanya watched as Inuyasha quietly stared out into the ocean. Although she'd known him for only a short amount of time, Kitanya thought she saw the beginnings of deterioration. Inuyasha was a proud and noble creature that'd spent most of his life free within the wilds of the world. And although that life had been a tragedy, perhaps being caged was worse. Protected, fed, cared for, all of these things appeared positive, at least on the surface. But there was something terribly wrong with the one who'd saved her life. That untamable, fierce fire was slowly dying and Kitanya felt helpless to rekindle it.

Shaking her head, Kitanya thought the best thing she could do was offer Inuyasha some privacy. Besides, she had a kappa to re-educate. With that in mind, the bear submissive quietly turned and walked out, leaving a pensive Inuyasha staring out at the crashing waves.

Amber eyes blankly staring, it was the sound of the sea that registered more with the hanyou than the actual movement of the water. Within his hand, Inuyasha held that damned piece of paper, the words preciously few and only conveying the fact that Sesshomaru would not be coming for him tonight. Feeling the pierce of his claws, Inuyasha's mind was awash in why that would be. Sesshomaru had told him that he wouldn't rut any other, not since mating with him, but had that been true? If these past couple of weeks had taught the hanyou anything, it was that his dominant mate's carnal desires were near unquenchable. When Sesshomaru was inside him, his mate seemed consumed with need, as if the whole of the day he'd been waiting for that release. To think of Sesshomaru going a night without . . . shivering, Inuyasha felt his ears slacken upon the top of his head. If Sesshomaru really wasn't coming tonight, and he didn't go to anyone else, did that mean the hanyou would be in for another night like that first one? God's above, he hoped not.

Looking down at the crushed paper still held within his hand, Inuyasha's confusion turned to sadness. Sesshomaru might see him as nothing more than a way to sate his urges, but unfortunately, that wasn't the same way the hanyou thought of his mate. Their nighttime ruts were Inuyasha's only way of being close to Sesshomaru. Sure, it wasn't anywhere close to his ideal, nor what he truly wanted, but it was all he could get and Inuyasha had convinced himself that he would take it and be grateful for what it was. For those few, precious moments that Sesshomaru was inside him, Inuyasha felt a whole and contentedness that he'd never before experienced. It was the moment he treasured, the moment he looked forward to all day. And, it was the following moments that he dreaded all day. The moment when Sesshomaru pulled himself from his body, the moment his mate left their bed, the moment Inuyasha was left all alone once more, his body used and discarded.

Was the pleasure and momentary peace really worth the tortuous emotional pain? Did it even matter? Opening the palm of his hand, Inuyasha watched that crumpled piece of paper drift down into the raging waters below, the sea consuming those few toxic words as if they were nothing.

Sliding down the balcony railing, Inuyasha settled in, his eyes fixed to the horizon where the sun was just now hitting the endless water. Soon the sky would be filled with intoxicating shades of orange, red and yellow. And then, the stars would come out to shine, the moon glowing with all its typical radiance, completely uncaring of the world churning below. Shifting, Inuyasha wrapped his arms tighter around his body. The air crisp and would only cool further once the sun was down. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to care.

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Roaming the halls of the palace, Sesshomaru found his feet traveling toward an unexpected location: his Uncle Tsuyoshi's rooms. Before he knew it, the Prince of the West was standing, his golden eyes staring at his uncle's sword – Tessaiga. Slender fingers inching forward, Sesshomaru lightly touched the sword's sheath, his eyes widening at the sudden pulse he felt emanating from the seemingly dead blade. Taking a chance, the InuYoukai barely tapped the pad of a finger upon the sword's hilt, only to feel the same shock of rejection he'd experienced decades ago.

Dropping his hand, Sesshomaru stared at the sword. Since his uncle's passing, Tessaiga had remained stubbornly quiet, only barely communicating its sadness to its partner, Tenseiga. More than once he'd heard his father speak of the bond between the two swords and that he constantly felt Tessaiga's grief through the sword at his side: Tenseiga. But never had Sesshomaru felt anything besides physical pain from his uncle's sword.

Confused, Sesshomaru inhaled deeply, his eyes widening when realization hit him. He'd been thinking so much about his mate that he had failed to realize Inuyasha's scent was all over his uncle's rooms. Quickly turning, Sesshomaru walked the entirety of the rooms and in each and every one he could scent his mate. Coming back to stand before Tessaiga, the Prince of the West realized that it was here that his hanyou's scent was strongest. Most likely, he'd been subconsciously following Inuyasha's scent the entire time, leading him down the seemingly endless halls and corridors until reaching this very destination.

In that moment, a rare smile curved the Prince of the West's lips. Somehow, someway, Inuyasha had found his way to the very spot he and Lord Inu no Taisho most wanted to keep him away from. Golden eyes focusing in on Tessaiga, Sesshomaru questioned, "Was it you? Did you lead my mate from the safety of the West Wing of the Palace?"

A great and hauntingly empty silence was Sesshomaru's only answer, but he didn't really need a verbal response to know the truth. Tessaiga had chosen its next master and it should be no surprise as to whom it had picked.

Taking a step back, Sesshomaru almost shook his head at the ridiculousness of the situation. Both he and his father should have been wise enough to understand that this was bound to happen. The truth can seldom be hidden for long and always finds its own way to the surface. Perhaps the true question was not only when, but how long Inuyasha had been coming here. Somehow, his mate had slipped his guards and come here of his own accord. There was little doubt in his mind that no one else knew of Inuyasha's escapades to this end of the Palace. If they had, no doubt those tasked with escorting his mate would have told Sesshomaru and the very fact that Inuyasha himself had never questioned him on such matters more than indicated that his little mate was coming here in complete secret.

And it was that thought that disturbed Sesshomaru the most, the fact that his submissive mate felt it necessary to hide such a thing from him, something that could potentially put Inuyasha in danger. Did his hanyou really trust him so little? Or was it that Inuyasha thought he would not understand the pull of this room, of this sword? Either way, it was just another illustration of the fragile bond he'd created with his submissive mate.

Turning from the sword, Sesshomaru stared at a group of furs close by, the scent of his mate particularly strong there. Kneeling on those very same furs, Sesshomaru closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting once more to the conversation he'd had with Miroku. Were those really things Inuyasha would want? Did his mate understand his own importance? Surely he'd made himself clear to his mate. The very fact that he came to Inuyasha every night, that he needed his hanyou in such a way should be proof enough, but did his hanyou know that? Did Inuyasha understand that this need Sesshomaru felt was not typical of a mated pair?

Sliding a hand through the softness of the furs below him, Sesshomaru brought the palm of his flesh to his nose, inhaling deeply of his mate. Being away from Inuyasha tonight was tearing a hole through his soul, and yet he knew that it was for the best. With his thoughts in such turmoil, rutting his hanyou tonight might lead to either physical or emotional damage, neither of which was worth the risk.

Eyes traveling back up to the seemingly accusing sword, Sesshomaru finally nodded, his mind made up about at least one thing. "Very well, I will speak with my father regarding your will. Since he is rarely without Tenseiga, most likely he is already aware that something within you has changed." Sesshomaru hadn't expected any type of a response and thought nothing of the fact that Tessaiga remained silent.

Rising slowly, Sesshomaru once more walked toward the resting sword of his uncle. Bowing low, the Prince of the West offered his respect. "The one you have chosen is truly worthy of such an honor and shall no doubt wield you with the same devotion as your previous master." With those final words spoken, Sesshomaru left his uncle's rooms, easily making it back to his own by the wee hours of the morning. Walking out upon his balcony, the Prince of the West knew he would need to speak with his mate the following evening. Most likely he was making more of the monk's words than he should. Sesshomaru had seldom placed much stock in Miroku's thoughts, why he was doing so now was a mystery to him. But quickly following that thought was the one regarding how correct Miroku had initially judged his hanyou's character and worth.

 _As Sesshomaru said, the truth will find its way to the surface. I hope you liked Miroku's little "talk". Many of you might be wishing he'd just come out and said it plainly, but I have found that sometimes the best way to change someone's mind isn't to just tell them straight up, but phrase things in a way that gets them thinking - putting them on the path so that by the time they reach the destination, they've had time to accept the truth of it. Also, somehow it always seems a bit more palatable when we reach those decisions ourselves._

 _So . . . for those of you that didn't read the top blurb, I'm going to post chapter 19 tonight so don't be mad that things still aren't resolved. You'll be rewarded in the next chapter._

 _lunamist_


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19 . . ._

Eyes narrowed down on his opponent, Masaru crouched low, waiting for the next strike. Inuyasha's skills had been steadily increasing, as had his thoughtfulness and planning. Today, however, seemed to be a different story. From the very beginning, the hanyou seemed too aggressive, as if fighting was more of an outlet for frustration than the training session it was supposed to be.

Dodging to the side, Masaru easily missed the clawed hand aiming for his thigh. Frowning, the tiger youkai was beginning to sense that today would be little more than an outlet for Inuyasha to let off some steam. What Masaru needed to do was make sure the hanyou didn't get hurt too badly in the process.

Watching as his fingers met nothing but air, Inuyasha's frustration only grew. If only the damn tiger would hold still for just one fucking minute. Lips pulling back, the hanyou stared at Masaru's contemplative face and felt a whole new wave of frustration well up within his gut. Having just left his right side completely open, Masaru should have taken the opportunity to land a hit, and yet he hadn't. "What the fuck was that? You coddlin' me now or somethin'? That's a damn sure way to get your ass kicked."

But Masaru only grunted. "As distracted as you are today, there is no way in hell that you're kicking anyone's ass but your own."

Frustrated, angry, and hurt, Inuyasha hated the fact that he was letting Sesshomaru have this big of an effect on him. He should be happy the asshole hadn't come for him last night, happy to have a night off and not have his ass burning this morning. That's how he should feel, but it wasn't. Instead, he felt scared and insecure and both of those were feelings that he loathed. Add on the fact that he'd gotten precious little to any sleep last night and you got one very grumpy hanyou. And, to top it all off, for the second day in a row, Sesshomaru wasn't at his training session. In fact, he hadn't seen, scented, or felt his mate in over a day and a half.

Crouched low, Inuyasha leaned over and dug his claws into the dirt, launching himself at his nearest target – Masaru.

Shifting again to the side, Masaru wasn't quite quick enough to completely evade the attack and soon found himself in one of the most vicious hand-to-hand combats he'd ever engaged in. He'd never seen Inuyasha, or any youkai for that matter, that desperate. And no matter how many times he tried to deflect the hanyou's attacks, no matter how much he tried to keep Inuyasha safe from harm, it was quickly becoming evident that to do so would be impossible. Masaru needed to end this and end it before Inuyasha drove his own youkai to the point of exhaustion, something that would be far worse than a debilitating wound.

It wasn't long after that thought that Masaru had his opportunity. Within a fraction of a second, Masaru shoved his hand against Inuyasha's chest – hard. The moment the palm of his hand made contact, a crack echoed through the clearing, the hanyou's body sailing through the air to land with a thud against the hard earth. It was a blow Inuyasha did not quickly rise from.

Hand flexing, Masaru knew he hadn't hit hard enough to cause any permanent damage, but no doubt Inuyasha would take a couple of days at least to heal. There was also little doubt that his mate, Norim would be rather put out with him tonight after seeing the condition Inuyasha was in.

Lying on the ground, Inuyasha struggled for breath, each and every pull of air shooting pain through his chest. Hissing a barely audible, "Fuck," Inuyasha tried sitting up, only for his arms to drop to his sides. Staring up at the blue sky, all he could do was lay there, all the while knowing that if this had been a real fight, his ass would be dead by now.

Slowly walking over, Masaru crouched down so that his face was hovering over Inuyasha's. "Don't try and get up just yet. I probably busted a couple of your ribs with that last hit. Just give your body some time to adjust to the pain."

Teeth gritted, Inuyasha thought Masaru was probably right and fought the panic threatening to swell within him. If he really had been stupid enough to get his ribs broken, then there was no way he would be able to satisfy Sesshomaru's needs tonight, maybe not even tomorrow night. He'd been an idiot and now he couldn't do what he was supposed to, what his mate needed. If Sesshomaru hadn't gone to another last night, then he sure as fuck would tonight.

Closely watching, Masaru saw emotions scatter over the hanyou's face, each one rising and fading quicker than the last, from pain to panic to despair and damn near every emotion in between. But what bothered him the most was the last, the final emotion that seemed to settle within Inuyasha's expressive eyes, one of deep and terrible loss, of sadness. "Inuyasha – "

"It ain't a big deal so don't you dare apologize."

"I wasn't about to. You were recklessly fighting and exhausting your youkai. Had I allowed things to continue, no doubt you would have found yourself in a coma for gods only know how long. What I did was necessary. What I don't understand is why it was necessary."

Eyes closing, Inuyasha tried to sigh but found the act too painful. Taking a few moments to adjust, the hanyou embraced his pain, curbing and ebbing it into a throbbing, but consistent ache. At least like this, it was manageable.

With his body more under control, Inuyasha finally sat upright, thankful that Masaru never once tried to help him do so. Readjusting to the new position and pain it brought, Inuyasha finally answered with the only reply he could think of, "I'd tell ya I'd let ya know when I figure it out, but most likely that ain't true."

For the first time during this training session, Masaru felt the corners of his lips curl up in a smile. "Well then, I won't question you further on it. I believe you now understand the consequences of coming to a battle in such a state. See that it does not happen again."

Feeling more than properly scolded, Inuyasha simply nodded his head. "Sorry I wasted your time today."

Thinking once more of the cold shoulder he would undoubtedly get from Norim tonight, not to mention the ire of his prince, Masaru ran a clawed hand through his hair and sighed. "That's not really what you should be apologizing for, but for now, it's good enough."

Confused, Inuyasha opened his mouth to ask what Masaru meant when the tiger youkai interrupted him. "If you're capable, we best be getting you up to your rooms. Norim's going to want to see you, I'm sure."

"-Keh," Inuyasha huffed while pushing his body up off the ground with only the slightest of wavers. "I've had worse and ain't had no healer. There's no need to go gettin' him involved."

In answer, Masaru only gave Inuyasha an incredulous look. "I must of hit you harder than I thought if you're spouting off that kind of nonsense."

Refusing to brace his ribs, Inuyasha stubbornly kept his hands at his sides as he began walking toward the palace. "Whatever, let's just get this shit over with."

Agreeing, Masaru took up position beside the injured hanyou, more proud than he could have said at the way Inuyasha held himself. If one looked carefully, it was easy to see something was wrong, but the hanyou hid the true extent of his injuries well. It was a skill few truly possessed and even though Masaru didn't like the circumstances such abilities had surely sprung from, he did appreciate the usefulness of them now.

::::::::::

Sesshomaru was far from pleased. Instead of Miroku, today it had been a treaty meeting with a clan of lynx youkai snuggled deep within the mountains of the Western Land's boarders with the East. It was a meeting that most likely his father could have handled alone, but being Heir of the West and more than of age to negotiate such things on his own, the fact that both he and the Lord of the West had been present had leant more meaning to the negotiations and final pact. It was important work, but it had meant that, once more, he'd missed Inuyasha's training. Being so distant from his submissive mate for this extended of a period was starting to wear of the Prince of the West.

And so, when the meeting had finally ended and he'd been allowed to leave, he'd headed directly back to he and Inuyasha's rooms, only to find . . . this: his mate, lying on his palate of furs, Norim fussing over Inuyasha while shooting menacing looks at a rather dejected looking Masaru.

Standing within the door separating he and Inuyasha's rooms, Sesshomaru took in the scene and felt his youkai pulse with both anger and fear. For the briefest of seconds, Sesshomaru feared the worst, but then he heard Inuyasha complaining that he was, typically, _fine_ , and in that moment Sesshomaru knew that at least what was going on wasn't life threatening. Still, his mate, the very beat of his soul, was lying down with their best healer fretting over him and that did little to sooth him. Voice low and cold, Sesshomaru demanded, "Explain."

Of course Masaru had known the second Sesshomaru had entered the scene, and of course, he'd known the InuYoukai would be pissed. Opening his mouth, the tiger was about to explain when Norim grunted and answered, "Ask my mate. This seems to be his doing."

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Masaru mouthed the word, "Thanks," to his submissive before turning to his prince, ready to explain when he was once more stopped by another, this time Inuyasha.

Pushing Norim's hands away, Inuyasha forced his body to sit up again, fighting down the nauseating pain that action brought. Still, he wasn't about to let Masaru take the brunt of something that was his own damn fault. "Masaru didn't do nothin' wrong so don't go doin' somethin' stupid, Sesshomaru."

Showing no indication that he'd heard a word spoken, instead, Sesshomaru concentrated on the view he was now getting of his mate. When Inuyasha had pushed Norim away, it had placed his body on better display and made obvious the deep, purple bruising covering almost Inuyasha's entire torso. For bruising that deep, there had to be significant damage.

Once more, Sesshomaru fought down the immediate urge to kill that which had harmed his mate. Only when he was certain he had his anger under control did he turn and order, "Masaru, you will follow this Sesshomaru."

Eyes briefly shifting to his mate, Masaru felt some level of satisfaction when Norim's orbs were filled not with anger, but concern. Smiling, Masaru gave his mate a wink and said, "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

Not happy at all with the situation, Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "You're damn right it will be. Oy! Sesshomaru, are you listenin' to me? Don't you fuckin' dare – "

"This Sesshomaru has no plans on harming Masaru," Sesshomaru finally answered. Seeing the state Inuyasha was driving himself to over his worry and concern could not be tolerated and so the InuYoukai sought to appease his mate. "We shall return shortly. Norim, continue your treatments." And without another word, Sesshomaru turned and left, Masaru following quietly and quickly behind.

Sliding the door shut behind him, Masaru took in a deep breath, exhaling it slowly. Before him, Sesshomaru stood, his body rigidly still, his golden eyes betraying not a single emotion. Within that gilded room, silence ruled as Masaru waited for some form of prompting, but soon enough it was clear that he would get no such encouragement.

Figuring that Sesshomaru expected him to do most, if not all of the talking, Masaru began. "I didn't want to hurt him so badly, but it was better than the alternative."

Sesshomaru couldn't see how his mate being so badly injured could be the lesser of any alternative besides death. And it was that thought that finally got Sesshomaru speaking. "The hanyou was in danger of being mortally afflicted?"

"Probably not quite that severe, but he was working his way to exhausting his youkai and if I'd let the fight continue as it was, most likely it would have taken him weeks to recover instead of the couple of days we're looking at over a few broken ribs."

"Youkai exhaustion?" Looking toward the door leading to his hanyou, Sesshomaru ordered once more, "Explain." And so, Masaru took a deep breath before recounting the events of the day.

:::::::::::

"Don't worry, I'm sure Masaru will be fine." Even with that said, Norim wasn't entirely sure whether he was trying to convince Inuyasha or himself. Sesshomaru had been angry with both of them in the past and had restrained from doing permanent damage, but none of those incidents had involved the submissive mate their prince so obviously needed.

Turning his attention back to the healer, Inuyasha kept his ears perked and swiveled toward the other room. "Yeah, well, the bastard shouldn't be all worked up. Like I said earlier, Masaru didn't do nothin' wrong."

Hands stopping their motion, Norim's eyes went up in disbelief. "Inuyasha, while I don't believe my mate would ever intentionally harm you unnecessarily, you must admit that your current injuries are extreme for training."

"-Keh," Inuyasha mumbled, his head going down. "Masaru did what he needed to do." Eyes once more determined, the hanyou looked up and stated, "Sesshomaru needs to calm the fuck down and you shouldn't give him any shit about it either."

Pulling back, Norim opened his mouth, only to shut it again. Not really knowing how to respond, the healer finally settled on a brief, "I'll take your words into consideration." Thankfully, at that moment, Kitanya returned with a steaming pot of water and several satchels of a variety of herbs Norim had requested.

Reaching for the hot water and herbs, Norim grabbed a cup and began mixing. "As usual, Lady Kitanya, your timing is impeccable."

Glancing from Inuyasha to Norim, Kitanya decided whatever was going on was better left between the two of them. "Is there anything else I can get?"

Norim nodded while bent over his task. "Inuyasha would do better with a solid meal within his stomach."

Taking off before the hanyou could protest, Kitanya was out the door and on to her latest mission, unknowingly leaving both Norim and Inuyasha to their own silent contemplations. While Norim wondered if he'd maybe been too harsh on his mate, Inuyasha wiled away the time berating himself for acting so thoughtlessly. Now, he was laid up, taking up unnecessary attention, getting Masaru in trouble, and completely useless to his mate's needs. In every conceivable way, the hanyou felt like a failure.

In what felt like an impossibly short time, Kitanya returned with a plate full of cooked rabbit meat, something Inuyasha should enjoy and yet found himself choking down.

The awkward silence drew on as Norim ordered Inuyasha to drink the concoction of herbs he'd so carefully picked and prepared. Having tasted the healer's particular brews before, Inuyasha thought nothing of downing the mix in one large gulp. It never once occurred to him that this simple fact indicated just how trustworthy and naïve the hanyou still was.

Both eyes and mouth drawn down with worry, Kitanya kneeled off to the side, completely at a loss as to how to help further. Having no idea what circumstances had led to Inuyasha's current condition; she was left to ponder not only the happenings of today, but of the past few weeks. Unfortunately, those thoughts did little to ease her mind, nor did they offer a possible way to alleviate her savior's pain.

Having eaten and drank what he was supposed to, all Inuyasha wanted to do was be left alone. Not long after that thought, the door opened, Sesshomaru walking through first, the look on his face as blank as usual while he coldly questioned, "Norim, are you finished treating the hanyou?"

Nodding once, Norim stood, his kimono flowing out and around his smaller frame. "Aye, my prince. There is little else to be done at this moment. I shall prepare more healing tea for Inuyasha, but it should not be taken for at least four more hours."

Golden eyes landing upon his mate, Sesshomaru ordered, "If that is the case, then you may leave. I have already dismissed Masaru." Looking to Kitanya, the Prince of the West added, "You are dismissed as well."

Teeth clenching, Inuyasha started to protest while pushing himself off the floor only for a wave of dizziness to assault his senses. With a confused, "Shit," the hanyou put a hand to his head before looking accusingly at Norim. "Just what the fuck did you give me."

Looking completely nonplussed, Norim raised a single eyebrow. "Nothing less than what was needed. It is well known that you have difficulty doing as told and remaining still when you require healing. I have simply made certain that is not an issue this time."

"Gods damn it! Who gave you the right – "

"It is my duty to see that you remain alive and well, Prince Inuyasha. This is not like most of the other times when you simply have a few strained muscles combined with a scratch here and there." Seeing the hanyou's mouth open, Norim held up a hand for silence. "I know that you have lived through much worse, but you are no longer in the wilds with none to care for you and no safety to be had. You are now a Prince of the West and within these rooms, are protected enough that giving you a sedative is safe enough. The more your body is able to rest, the quicker you will heal and be back to normal activities."

Head turned to the side; Inuyasha's cottony-white strands of hair completely hid his face as he muttered a muted, "-Keh."

Knowing Inuyasha was still far from happy but unwilling to bend in the slightest, Norim turned from the hanyou, bowing once to Sesshomaru before looking to Kitanya and offering, "If you would like, you may spend the night in Masaru and my chambers. I am certain we can find a spare futon for you."

Kitanya wanted nothing more than to stay where she was and do what she could for Inuyasha, but protesting Sesshomaru's order would do little more than upset the hanyou and that was something she wanted to avoid at all cost. Forcing a polite smile, Kitanya gave her own shallow bow before agreeing. "Thank you, Healer Norim. Your offer is quite generous and appreciated."

Offering a brief, "I'll have Inuyasha's medicine brought up later," Norim ducked his head a final time before offering his arm to Kitanya, both of them leaving the growing tension behind.

Finally alone with Sesshomaru, Inuyasha felt the events of the day, along with Norim's herbal mix, hit him. Since drinking the healing tea, his body wasn't hurting nearly as badly as it had before. Sesshomaru had rutted him in different positions before, and while the hanyou doubted he'd be able to hold himself up on hands and knees, he thought he could probably lay on his back okay. Given how much his head was beginning to swim, he didn't know if he could stay conscious for the whole thing, but at least Sesshomaru would get what he needed.

Feeling a bit more hopeful that he could still be of some use, Inuyasha slowly turned his head, his tired eyes looking up into those of his icy, silent, mate. Clearing his throat, the hanyou closed his eyes briefly, allowing the world to spin slightly before opening them again. "I . . . I, uh, I know you were too busy or somethin' last night so I figure you really need release tonight. My injuries really ain't that bad and since Norim made me drink that shitty tea, things don't hurt nearly as bad. If . . . if you want, I can just lay on my back and you can use me that way. There ain't nothin' wrong with that part of my body so you could use my hole just fine." Unable to look at Sesshomaru any longer, Inuyasha dropped his eyes to the floor. "I can't guarantee though that I'll still be awake at the end to leave. I know you don't like me stayin' with you all night, so you'll need to leave or if you wanna do it in your room, then you can just carry me back in here." With a slight shrug of his shoulders, the hanyou ended with a quiet, "I don't see that it really matters either way."

Face betraying none of the horror currently roiling through Sesshomaru's gut, the InuYoukai stood, his body stiller than stone as he listened to his mate's words, each syllable cutting a deeper scar across his soul. When Inuyasha had finally stopped speaking, all Sesshomaru could think to ask was, "You believe I would take you when you are in such a condition?"

Frustrated, Inuyasha squeezed his eyes closed, his hands balling up into fists. "That's what I'm tryin' to tell ya. It ain't as bad as all that. I . . . I can still be of use to you. I know how much you need to rut and since we didn't do it last night . . . " eyes now open and determinedly glaring up at the towering InuYoukai before him, Inuyasha fairly hissed, "You don't gotta go to no one else is all I'm tryin' to say. You need a hole to fuck and mine's right here. I'm your submissive mate and just 'cause I was an idiot and got hurt today don't mean I can't still do my job."

No longer able to hide his emotions, Sesshomaru took in a deep and hissing breath of air. "Your _job_? This is how you see our rutting, as nothing more than a position you must fill because you are this Sesshomaru's submissive mate?" Within a fraction of a second, the fear and unease he'd been feeling since his odd conversation with the monk the day before came rushing back. Miroku's words had unsettled him, but Sesshomaru had begun to think that, as usual, the monk was spouting nonsense. Surely Inuyasha knew how important he was, how much Sesshomaru treasured him - how much Sesshomaru needed him.

Forehead once more balanced within the palm of his hand, Inuyasha cursed his own stupidity almost as loudly as he cursed Norim for giving him something that had obviously turned the hanyou into a babbling idiot. Still, what he'd said was exactly what he'd been feeling these past few weeks and more to the point, what he believed to be the truth. Why then, did Sesshomaru seem so upset?

Sighing, Inuyasha rubbed a hand over the bandages encasing his chest and torso. "Ain't that what a submissive is supposed to do?"

"As my submissive mate, such is your role, but such activity should not feel like a task to you." Mind quickly thinking back on their previous rutting, Sesshomaru knew Inuyasha had found release and was even more confused. "Did you not enjoy it? Does my cock not bring you pleasure?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked, his cheeks dusting the slightest shade of pink. "Of course I liked it."

"Then why are you describing our intimacies as nothing short of work?"

"I – " head shaking, Inuyasha watched the world spin before closing his eyes. "That ain't what I meant."

"Then explain so that I might understand." And Sesshomaru did want to understand because clearly he had managed to make one of the biggest mistakes of his life. If this was truly how Inuyasha viewed himself within their relationship then he, the Prince of the West and one of the most powerful youkai within the known world, had fucked up royally.

Fuck, Inuyasha felt so damned tired and didn't know if it was all Norim's herbs or if his exhaustion was more because of what was currently happening. "I like what you do to me," blushing deeper, Inuyasha knew that was understating things. "You . . . it feels good. I never knew doin' somethin' like that could feel like that."

Relaxing marginally, Sesshomaru was relieved that at least he had been giving his mate pleasure but unfortunately, he still didn't understand why Inuyasha felt so unworthy. Keeping his silence, he waited for Inuyasha to explain more.

Sparing a brief glance at Sesshomaru did little to ease Inuyasha's mind for those golden eyes were as blank and cold as ever. For all the hanyou knew, his mate might as well be sitting in on a meeting regarding land disputes as discussing fucking his submissive. "Well, you made it pretty damn clear that's all you want me for is a hole to release into. When you're done, you either leave or take me back to my room. I ain't mad or anything. I'm glad I can take it and give you what you need. I've even been tryin' not to get as injured when trainin' with Masaru so that I can do my duty as your mate. It's . . . it's more than a half-breed like me could have ever expected outta life." Lightly shaking his head again, Inuyasha fisted his hands. "Nothin' needs to change. I'll be back to normal soon and you can use my body just as you like."

"Foolish hanyou."

Head snapping up, Inuyasha had to clench his teeth against the wave of nausea the quick action brought. "What the fuck?"

Finally moving, Sesshomaru knelt, easily picking Inuyasha up and into his arms. Without thought or permission, mokomoko wrapped around his hanyou, securing his mate even tighter as he made his way into his rooms. Laying Inuyasha down upon his fur covered futon; Sesshomaru began undressing, each layer sliding off his body like water.

Momentarily confused, Inuyasha's wide eyes stared up at his mate. But soon enough, Sesshomaru started stripping and the hanyou figured the bastard had decided to take him up on his offer. With that thought in mind, Inuyasha began untying the strings of his pants only to feel the weight of Sesshomaru's hand stilling his own. Looking up, the hanyou's eyes were once more clouded in confusion and a barely distinguishable, "Huh?" slipped through his lips.

Having successfully stopped his hanyou from removing his own clothes, Sesshomaru lifted one of the furs and slid in next to his mate. Pulling Inuyasha close, the Prince of the West nestled his nose against his mate's neck, his tongue sliding out to lap at the mating mark he'd placed just a few short weeks ago. The shiver he received for his actions making Sesshomaru's youkai growl with pleasure.

Opening his mouth, Inuyasha was about to question what Sesshomaru was doing when his lips were covered and his cavern was invaded by his mate's wicked tongue. Moaning low, Inuyasha's body pressed in as tightly as it could, a needy whine escaping his throat. Lying there, within Sesshomaru's arms as the InuYoukai touched, petted, kissed, and licked his way down every inch of available skin, Inuyasha felt a rawness he'd never experienced before. He'd had Sesshomaru's thick cock shoved up his ass and down his throat and yet never felt this vulnerable. When Sesshomaru's tongue once more landed on his mating mark, the hanyou let out a nearly breathless, "Sesshomaru."

Hearing those noises, those delicious sounds of want and need, Sesshomaru decided he finally had Inuyasha where he wanted him, where he could begin to explain just what his mate meant to him, what he'd so abysmally failed at up until this moment. Cradling his hanyou's head within the palm of one hand, Sesshomaru's claws gently raked across Inuyasha's head. For perhaps the first time in centuries, the icy Prince of the West allowed the full weight of his emotions to permeate his golden irises, his orbs shining with a glorious depth of light few, if any, were ever privileged with.

His own eyes going wide, Inuyasha let out another hushed, "Sesshomaru?"

"Shh, my mate," Sesshomaru whispered, his breath soft and warm on Inuyasha's skin. "Once more, this Sesshomaru must ask for your forgiveness."

" _Forgiveness?_ I don't know – "

"To think that you have been viewing your life in such a way . . . I had assumed, wrongly it would appear, that you understood the depth of meaning you hold within my life. Inuyasha, holes to fuck are aplenty within these palace walls and yet I want none of them. It is not merely honor or duty that compels me to want only you. It is not only the fact that we are mated and you are my submissive."

Had Inuyasha been able, he would have turned his head to the side. But with Sesshomaru's hand still holding his head in place, he found the action impossible. "I don't know much about youkai life, but I do know that once they've chosen a mate, then they stick with them when it comes to ruttin'."

"While that is true, what is not generally typical is the need I feel with you."

Blinking once, Inuyasha stared up, his eyes once more filled with confusion. "What does that mean?"

Smirking, Sesshomaru's eyes danced in the darkness of the room. "Inuyasha, do you truly believe that before I mated you, that I felt the need to rut daily?"

Mouth opening, Inuyasha shut it again quickly. In point of fact, that is exactly what he'd been thinking. "You mean you didn't?"

Leaning down, Sesshomaru gently kissed his mate's lips, pulling away only enough to answer, "Quite the contrary."

Getting lost in Sesshomaru's heady scent, Inuyasha closed his eyes, subconsciously breathing in deeper of his mate. "N-no?"

"No. In fact, my lord father often espoused his concern for my rather cold and distant ways. Only did I rut when the need overcame my inherent dislike for such intimate contact. As I once told you, rutting was simply a way to rid myself of an irritating biological need, nothing more."

Staring up, Inuyasha's eyes traced a magenta stripe before settling once more on Sesshomaru's burning orbs. "And now?"

In answer, Sesshomaru pushed his hips forward, allowing his achingly hard cock to press down on Inuyasha's thigh. " _Now?_ Now this is how I feel, almost all the time. The slightest thought or scent of you is all that is required. If I had my true wish, this unruly cock of mine would be constantly buried deep within your body. I would keep you here, tied to this bed, tied to me. You would be unable to walk, let alone lift yourself from this bed. I would carry you to the bath, feed you the finest of meats, and have you coated both inside and out with my seed. If I could, none would ever lay eyes upon you again, not because I am ashamed of my hanyou mate, but because I wish to be the only one allowed to look upon you. To me, no other is remotely good enough to do so."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha couldn't help but push his thigh deeper into Sesshomaru's desire. "But . . . but you . . . you always left. Or you made me leave. You know, after you were done. Why would you do that if you really want to be with me so much? It doesn't make any sense?" Inside, that little bud of hope that had been struggling for survival now seemed on the verge of bursting to life. But Inuyasha's life had taught him that such hopes were normally futile and he fought the ember steadily growing within him.

Hand finally releasing Inuyasha's head, Sesshomaru's claws lazily slid over a furry puppydog ear, earning a whine of pleasure for his actions. The Prince of the West had been afraid that such a confession would scare his mate, to find out that he was so possessive that he wished to cage Inuyasha. But to his pleasure, his hanyou did not seem nearly as concerned over such a fact as he'd thought. Perhaps the very fact that Inuyasha wasn't worried over this also explained why he was now questioning why Sesshomaru had acted as he had. "Inuyasha, while you are strong, to constantly use your body in the way I desire would prove harmful. Remaining that close to you throughout the night, I was concerned I would be unable to control my desires. I was also uncertain as to what your reaction might be should you fully understand the depth of my needs."

Blushing, Inuyasha was finally able to turn his head away. "Well, I guess we could always try and do more and just kinda . . . you know, just kinda see how well I hold up."

Frowning, Sesshomaru stopped all motion, his body stilling. "Inuyasha, are you making such an offer because you believe it is your duty to do so as this Sesshomaru's submissive mate?"

Inuyasha swallowed the automatic, "No," he had on his lips long enough to actually think about his answer. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke. "No, or at least, that ain't all of it." Sighing, the hanyou looked back to Sesshomaru's face, surprised to see it filled with sorrow. Wriggling his arms free, Inuyasha reached up, his smaller hands cupping Sesshomaru's hardened jaw. "You've told me a whole bunch of times that there are things you want to do for me, as my dominant mate. You know I can protect myself, but you can't help but want to keep me as safe as possible. Well, I suppose there are things, as the submissive, that I want to do for you. I want to be able to meet the needs you feel. I want to be physically able to please you. But don't think it's all about you. I . . . " Eyes closing, Inuyasha felt embarrassment flush his cheeks an even deeper shade of pink. "Don't go thinkin' you're the only one here that feels the need to do those types of things."

Pleased by both his hanyou's words and aroused scent, Sesshomaru finally moved, positioning himself in such a way that he could pull Inuyasha's body into his own as they both laid upon their sides, his mate's rear snuggled up nice and tight against his wanting cock.

Easily maneuvered so that he was now facing away from Sesshomaru, Inuyasha gasped when he felt the InuYoukai's thick rod pushing up on his still clothed bottom. "Do you – "

"This position is well enough for this night. Perhaps Norim was correct. He once advised me that simply holding you close would often be enough to sooth my youkai. My concern regarding my own self control restricted me from trying it previously, but I am finding that having you so near is indeed peaceful."

"But, uh . . . a certain part of ya don't feel that peaceful." At his back, Inuyasha could feel the rumbling chuckle of laughter that escaped Sesshomaru. It was a sound he thought few had ever heard.

"Indeed, that part of me is almost always wanting and rarely satisfied. However, I will not risk injuring you further and surprisingly, this is more than enough."

Inuyasha thought about reiterating his previous offer of lying on his back and letting Sesshomaru fuck him, but given what they'd just discussed, the hanyou thought he maybe understood why his mate had refused. So, instead of protesting, Inuyasha simply uttered a quiet, "'Kay," in response.

Pleased with both the word and tone it was spoken with, Sesshomaru went back to stroking one of Inuyasha's ears, the act bringing them both pleasure, albeit in different forms. With his mate relaxed and sleepy, Sesshomaru laid mokomoko across his hanyou's bandaged ribs, the texture of the fabric reminding him of what had happened earlier and how much his mate had placed his own life within danger. Perhaps now was not the right time to question Inuyasha, but his need to protect his mate pushed Sesshomaru to question, "Inuyasha, will you tell me what happened during your training earlier today?"

Instantly, Inuyasha stiffened, his earlier lethargy replaced with anxiety. "-Keh, you know what happened."

Feeling the rise in tension, Sesshomaru considered relenting, but found the matter too important to drop. "Let me rephrase then, will you tell me why you were so reckless that Masaru needed to resort to such violent efforts?"

For a moment, Inuyasha tried squirming away, but between Sesshomaru's arms and mokomoko, the action was less than futile. Finally sighing, Inuyasha closed his eyes before answering. "I was upset and acted like an idiot."

Inuyasha couldn't see the smirk flitting across Sesshomaru's face but heard it in the InuYoukai's voice. "That is information I already know. What I desire to know is what upset you so much so that it might be avoided in the future."

Thinking back to all the things he'd just learned made Inuyasha feel even more embarrassed than he had before. The things he'd been so worried about had been nothing to worry about at all. He'd misunderstood Sesshomaru's actions and the reason's behind those actions. Not that he thought it was his fault for misunderstanding, it was just that knowing what he knew now, Inuyasha kind of thought he'd been an even bigger fool than he'd originally thought. "It's been resolved. It won't happen again because the reason for it to begin with don't exist anymore."

Claws once more scraping over a furry ear, Sesshomaru relaxed back onto the plush futon. He would question it no further. "That is good to hear. You are far too precious to this Sesshomaru to ever risk your life in such a manner." What the Prince of the West didn't tell Inuyasha was that should the hanyou die, most likely Sesshomaru would soon follow or fall into a state of deep madness and his father, Lord Inu no Taisho, would need to slay his own son in order to protect not only the Western Lands, but the whole of the world from the InuYoukai's destructive ravings. Placing such a burden of knowledge upon his mate would serve little purpose as far as Sesshomaru was concerned.

Relaxed once more, Inuyasha's eyes traveled around the room a final time before slipping closed. "So, I'm guessin' this means I'll be spendin' more time in here with you?"

"A sound conclusion."

"-Keh, then if I gotta be here, can we get Kitanya to re-do the place?"

Soft smile upon his lips, Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha even closer. "You may do whatever you wish with our rooms." Unconsciously, Sesshomaru's youkai began emitting that wonderfully soothing scent and energy that was only meant for their mate.

Clawed fingers slipping through the soft strands of mokomoko, Inuyasha gripped the fur tight, pulling it up to his face and nuzzling his nose into its heady scent. For the first time in what seemed like forever, he was home. Never in his life had he dared dream any of this would be possible for him. Right before drifting off to sleep, Inuyasha determined that he would sit and write to Kaede tomorrow and maybe even see about getting a letter out to that mangy wolf. No doubt Kouga had his hands full with mating Ayame, but still, he thought dogbreath could probably use a little bit of ribbing right about now.

 _Is there a collective, "finally," echoing through the night? I hope you all liked that one. Looking back on this story, it seems like it could have been split into 3 separate stories with the first ending at them landing at the Western Palace and the second ending here. The next chapter starts to add a bit more drama and action back into things so maybe you can all look forward to that :-)_

 _Next update won't be until next Sunday. The way the coming week is with work, I'll be lucky to get out a mid-week update on the Chaos story so sorry, but no extra bonuses with this one._

 _Let me know what you all think. Until next week - stay safe and well._

 _lunamist_


	20. Chapter 20

_Hello everyone. I'm glad you all liked the double chapter last week as well as the fact that our inu's finally have their shit figured out :-) Don't worry, there won't be any back-peddling where that issue is concerned. Once they've gotten there, it sticks._

 _This chapter kicks off the end game of the story and brings back some action. It also continues answering a few of the questions that keep popping up as well as introducing some new concepts to the story. I hope you all enjoy it,_ _especially . . . ah-hem . . . the beginning :-)_

 _Chapter 20 . . ._

Waking up, Inuyasha had a moment of disorientation before the words and actions of the previous night hit him. In a swift rush, embarrassment and happiness rushed through his body as he curled deeper into the fur covering his form. But swiftly on the wings of that happiness came the crashing reality that he was once more alone in bed.

Head peaking out, Inuyasha's amber orbs scanned the room only to come up disappointingly empty. Sesshomaru was nowhere to be seen. Squeezing his eyelids closed against the instant pain that realization brought, the hanyou whispered a quiet, "Figures," before tucking his head back under the covers.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

Head instantly popping back out again, Inuyasha stared at a far corner, his mouth loosely hanging open at the sight greeting him. Pale skin glistening with the remnants of a bath, stood his impressively stunning mate, the Prince of the West. Unable to speak, Inuyasha could only stare, his cheeks flushed and warm as his already stiff cock hardened further.

Naked as the day he was born, Sesshomaru continued pressing the towel in his hand against his dripping hair. Leaning heavily against the wooden frame leading to his own private bathing chambers, the Heir of the West thought he could not have been presented with a lovelier vision than his mate's lustful blush. Delicately scenting the air brought a hidden smirk to the InuYoukai's lips. Inuyasha's lust was potent in the closed space of their bedroom.

Carelessly dropping the wet towel to the floor, Sesshomaru stalked forward, his magenta striped eyelids lowered ever so slightly. "Inuyasha, have you lost the power of speech?"

Mouth snapping shut; Inuyasha swallowed the dryness in his throat. "W-what? No . . . I . . . what was the question?"

Smirk no longer hidden but on full display, Sesshomaru knelt down upon the futon, his hands on either side of Inuyasha's flushed face. "I was merely inquiring as to your health this morning."

Even more flustered by the close proximity, Inuyasha stuttered out a hasty, "I'm f-fine."

Sesshomaru raised a single eyebrow before moving one of his hands down and laying his palm against his hanyou's bandaged ribs. Without a word, the InuYoukai pressed down, earning a hasty intake of breath from his mate. " _Fine?_ Perhaps it is time we revisited the meaning of that word for I am beginning to believe you are unaware of it."

"Shit, bastard, you didn't have to do that."

"On the contrary, how else is this Sesshomaru to know when you are feeling pain since you constantly refuse to admit it." Seeing the scowl pulling at Inuyasha's face, Sesshomaru began stroking a furry ear, its effects almost immediate. "Inuyasha, I understand your need to hide such injuries and the depth of their pain, but I wish you would not do so with me. I am your mate and will never view such things as weakness."

Head turned to the side, Inuyasha closed his eyes as he thought over Sesshomaru's words and came to a decision. "It's better than yesterday, but obviously it still hurts."

"As is to be expected. The last time I took such a hit from Masaru, my father made me rest for two whole days."

Head instantly snapping back toward his mate, Inuyasha's mouth opened as he gaped, "You mean – "

"I mean exactly what I said. Masaru is a master of his craft. It is fortunate for the West that he remains a loyal friend and not a calculating enemy."

Staring up into Sesshomaru's face, Inuyasha felt fear grip his chest. "But you could beat him. Right? I mean, you're stronger than he is. I know Masaru is loyal and all, but – "

"Inuyasha, that was almost two hundred years ago and I have become much stronger in that time. While it is true that I would not wish to fight Masaru in a true battle, you may rest assured that it would be I that was left standing. You need not fear losing me to such things."

"I wasn't sayin' you couldn't win or nothin'. And I ain't worried about your frigid ass, bastard."

But the pleasure shining in Sesshomaru's eyes would not abate. Although he did not like his mate worrying over needless things, the Prince of the West did find the thought that Inuyasha was concerned for his welfare pleasing. What wasn't pleasing was the fact that through their conversation, his hanyou's desire had faded. While it was true that Inuyasha was not yet healed enough for anything strenuous, Sesshomaru knew there were other ways to satisfy his mate without putting too much undo stress upon his injured body.

Eyes still locked on Sesshomaru's, Inuyasha's irritation was quickly turning to curious apprehension. For being such a stoic, icy prick, Sesshomaru was being unusually expressive this morning. So much so that the hanyou was beginning to wonder if maybe he hadn't been better off not having a fucking clue what was going on within his mate's mind. Tired of wondering and becoming increasingly nervous, Inuyasha finally asked, "What the fuck are you thinkin' about?"

Those words had barely escaped his mouth when Inuyasha's back arched and a hissed, "Shit," echoed through the room.

Frowning at the pressure Inuyasha's movements had undoubtedly placed upon his ribs, Sesshomaru easily reached up, plucking a pillow and easing it under his hanyou's back. Having seen to his mate's comfort, Sesshomaru's hand glided back down, easily pushing the fur covering Inuyasha's body away, leaving only a pair of loose pants that were readily opened to allow his hand better access. Clawed fingers wrapped around his throbbing goal, Sesshomaru let his hand glide over that tender flesh, his actions pulling harsh gasps from his mate.

"Fuck, Sesshomaru . . . you don't . . . you don't gotta do that." Even though he'd said the words, Inuyasha couldn't hold back the whine of displeasure when Sesshomaru removed his hand. But that whine of loss soon turned into a keening wail of pure pleasure when he felt the warm, wet mouth of his mate suck down his aching cock. "Oh . . . gods, Sessh . . . "

Mindful of his deadly fangs, Sesshomaru lapped and sucked at Inuyasha's still thickening rod of sinful flesh. Inhaling deeply, the InuYoukai growled low at the intense scent. Nothing in the world could compare to his submissive mate's smell, especially when Inuyasha was soaked in his own lust – lust for Sesshomaru.

Panting for breath, Inuyasha barely registered the pain radiating from his chest. Claws gripping the furs around him, the hanyou had a moment of clarity as Sesshomaru released his cock, only to loose his mind all over again when he felt the InuYoukai's tongue roll over his balls and down the cleft of his ass, that wicked organ pushing and lapping at his twitching hole. Eyes wide and staring at the ceiling, Inuyasha's panting soon turned into harsh gasps for air.

Pleased with the reaction he was eliciting, Sesshomaru continued his work – pulling Inuyasha's legs up and bending them to improve his access. Having thoroughly coated everything, Sesshomaru raised up enough to see the results of his ministrations, the sight before him nothing short of spectacular.

Cottony-white hair splayed all around him, Inuyasha's face was flushed, the whole of his body a rosy pink drenched in sweat. Puppydog ears lying lax against the pillow cradling his beautiful head, his hanyou's sweet tongue poked out of a deliciously panting mouth, Inuyasha's smaller fangs barely touching his bottom lip. But, above all else, it was those molten amber eyes that Sesshomaru couldn't get enough of. Lost in want and need, his hanyou's irises seemed to pulse, little streaks of flaming red flickering through their depths like bolts of lightening. Most of the time, Sesshomaru could feel Inuyasha's youkai, the beast carefully controlled behind a half-breed shell, but there were moments, moments of exquisite release, when he felt as if he could almost reach out and touch his mate's inner beast. And oh how Sesshomaru longed to do just that. Moments like these gave the InuYoukai hope that one day Inuyasha would trust him enough to allow his youkai more freedom.

Powerful youkai were difficult to control and Sesshomaru had spent decades coming to terms with his own. As a half-breed, it was unlikely that Inuyasha was strong enough to fully tame that wild side of himself, but with Sesshomaru there to help reign in his hanyou's youkai, it would be a different matter. As his submissive, Inuyasha's youkai should instinctively bow to his own and allow him control. But such a thing was a matter of the utmost trust and would most likely take years of being mated before his hanyou would trust enough to attempt such a release.

Allowing crimson to leak into his own golden orbs, Sesshomaru knew that, for now, seeing even the slightest hint of Inuyasha's youkai was enough - more than enough.

The breathy, "S-sesshomaru," pulled the InuYoukai from his thoughts. Growling low, Sesshomaru leaned over Inuyasha, his heated breath pushing against his hanyou's lips, as he demanded, "Feed me. Give me all that you are and I will drink you down." With those words, Sesshomaru moved his head and mouth back to his previous task. Reaching a hand down, the Prince of the West pushed a finger into his mate while simultaneously swallowing down Inuyasha's dripping cock, pushing down until his lips met the soft fur cradling his mate's cock and balls, the tip of his hanyou's cock pounding against his throat as Sesshomaru swallowed hard.

Sesshomaru's finger pushing deep into his ass mixed with the swallowing of his cock tore a near feral scream from Inuyasha's throat. Throwing his head back, the hanyou felt his balls tighten before spilling forth, jetting deep down the gullet of his mate. The release brought black spots before Inuyasha's eyes as Sesshomaru continued swallowing, sucking every last drop of cum from his body.

Only when he felt Inuyasha's cock soften did Sesshomaru finally release his hold. Easing his mouth back, the InuYoukai lovingly lapped at the flesh he'd been worshiping, savoring the taste that was his mate. He'd asked his hanyou to feed him and at that moment, Sesshomaru could find no complaint with his wish. Indeed, Inuyasha had fed him well and he'd savored every moment of it.

When he felt Sesshomaru remove his finger from his ass, Inuyasha could do little more than sigh. Pliant and boneless, the hanyou knew he'd have trouble moving even if his very life depended on it. As if in a haze, he felt Sesshomaru move to lie beside him, the InuYoukai's own need pushing harshly into Inuyasha's thigh.

Feeling the hard press of Sesshomaru's cock against his flesh brought some reason back to Inuyasha and without thinking, he began moving so that he could return the amazing pleasure he'd just received.

Easily picking up on his mate's newfound goal, Sesshomaru's stony grip held Inuyasha in place, his hanyou's confused eyes focused on him once more. "Such pleasures can wait."

"-Keh, that's stupid. You've been hard since last night. It's the least I can do after what you just did for me."

Holding Inuyasha further away from him, Sesshomaru's gaze was stern for this was something he wanted to make very clear. "Inuyasha, it is not your duty to pleasure this Sesshomaru."

"Wait? What?" Head shaking, Inuyasha cursed himself for thinking such stupid shit earlier. "That ain't what I was thinkin', dumbass. Well, maybe it's what I used to think, but I just wanted to do it so that you'd feel good too."

The fresh, embarrassed, blush that was now covering Inuyasha's face was more than pleasing to Sesshomaru. "That is good to know, but there are many ways in which I can derive pleasure and while nothing would please me more right now than to sink my cock into your body, I find that, surprisingly, the desire to protect you is far greater than those of my own needs. Inuyasha, do you not understand how relieving that is to me? To know that I can indeed show some control, some restraint?"

Leaning his head back, Inuyasha stared up into Sesshomaru's eyes, eyes that were so much more expressive than he'd ever thought possible. Pulling down his own eyebrows, the hanyou's lids scrunched down in thought. "You're really that afraid of hurtin' me?"

Pulling Inuyasha in tight against his chest, Sesshomaru once more wrapped mokomoko around his smaller mate. "If you had any idea the depth you affect me, you would fear the answer to that question."

Most of his life, Inuyasha had felt threatened on almost an hourly basis. The hanyou knew the stark realities of fear and was unfortunately familiar with the debilitating emotion. And yet, as he lay there in Sesshomaru's unyielding embrace, fear was the farthest thing from his mind. Maybe he really was just too stupid or naïve to understand. But if there was one thing Inuyasha had come to trust more than just about anything else, it was what his gut told him, and right now his gut was telling him that he was in no danger. In fact, he felt just about as far away from danger as he ever had.

Sighing with deep contentment, Inuyasha nuzzled his nose further into mokomoko. "Don't think I haven't heard what you've been tryin' to tell me, but I ain't afraid. Maybe that's stupid, but it's how I feel." Burying his face further into the fur so as to hide it from Sesshomaru, the hanyou's voice was a barely audible mumble. "You can do whatever ya want with me. Just knowin' that it's me ya actually want . . . that I ain't just the one available . . . makes me happy." Pulling his face free, Inuyasha's amber eyes looked up from below his heavy bangs, the blush clear upon his face. "If ya hadn't noticed, I kind of like it when you do those things to me."

Eyes momentarily flashing crimson, Sesshomaru felt his youkai pulse with greedy pleasure, his voice low and husky as he answered, "Even if that means you will be taken in every room, hall, and corner of this palace?"

Mouth gaping slightly, by now Inuyasha's cheeks were fairly burning. "I-if that's w-what you want."

Sesshomaru let out a growl before rolling them over, his larger frame looming over his submissive mate. "There are many things this Sesshomaru wants." Leaning that little bit forward, his fangs nipped Inuyasha's nose before finding his hanyou's lips again. Not long into the kiss, the Prince of the West heard a low rumble, a rumble with a suspicious origin. Leaning up, the InuYoukai's lips barely turned up. "But first, it appears as if there is something you want."

Head rolling off to the side in a groan, Inuyasha cursed his empty stomach. "You know, I used to go a lot longer without food. Livin' with you is makin' me soft."

Rising from their bed, Sesshomaru was not embarrassed in the slightest that his cock was still hard and jutting. Absently, the Prince of the West ran a hand over his aching need, only the barest of inhales of breath betraying the pleasure the act caused.

Pushing up on his hands, Inuyasha ignored the pain radiating across his chest, his amber eyes fixed upon the image before him. Tongue poking out to lick his lips, the hanyou questioned, "You sure you don't want any help with that?"

Still stroking, Sesshomaru's magenta striped eyelids lowered. "Inuyasha, although I am pleased with the level of control I have been able to maintain, your touch would no doubt tax me too much. I assure you, with the vision of you lying within my bed, my hand is more than adequate."

"Shit," Inuyasha whispered, his gaze unwavering as he watched his sexy as fuck dominant mate jacking himself off but a few feet away. Watching Sesshomaru do something so lewd was almost as good as having the bastard inside him.

As worked up as Sesshomaru was, it didn't take him long before his balls pulled up, releasing a stream of creamy white cum all over his hand and chest. Looking down at his own spend, the Prince of the West simply turned, walking back to his personal bathing chambers to clean off. When he reentered his bedroom, Sesshomaru was pleased to see his hanyou still panting slightly. Taking a few steps, the InuYoukai reached into a nearby wardrobe, pulling on a lightweight yukata before turning his attention back to his waiting mate. "Did you enjoy seeing this Sesshomaru pleasure himself?"

Eyes wide and staring, Inuyasha wondered how in the hell Sesshomaru could ask something like that. "Fuck, of course I did. You know how god's be damned good you look, why wouldn't I like it?"

"I care little for other's opinions on matters such as my visual appeal, but it pleases me to know that you find me attractive."

Having no idea what to say to that, Inuyasha simply hung his head while shaking it back and forth. Acting as if he hadn't just given himself a hand-job in front of his mate, Sesshomaru walked to the door leading to the outer hall. Ears swiveling atop his head, Inuyasha caught enough words to know that Sesshomaru had just asked for food to be brought up. Most likely he'd also asked for Norim as well.

Scooting to the edge of the bed, Inuyasha was a little dismayed by just how bad he did still feel, and not just the pain, but the exhaustion too. He really had been a dumb shit yesterday.

Seeing his hanyou had moved as well as the obvious toll it had taken on him, Sesshomaru moved in front of Inuyasha, his clawed hands running through strands of cottony white hair. Rather than comment on the continued frailty of his mate, a topic Sesshomaru was certain his hanyou would hate, the InuYoukai stated, "I have requested food to be sent up. If you wish, there should be time enough for a bath. Healer Norim should be here in the very near future to examine you further."

Inuyasha easily noted that there wasn't really an option presented with that last part, more like it was a statement of fact. Having had this argument more times than he cared to remember, the hanyou simply stood and began making his way toward his own room.

Seeing his mate's actions, Sesshomaru questioned, "Inuyasha?"

Turning his head, Inuyasha waved a hand in dismissal. "I know I'm welcome to use your bath, but all my stuff's still in here. If ya really want, we'll get it moved later, but right now this makes more sense."

"Very well. I believe Lady Kitanya spent last night within Masaru and Norim's quarters. Would you like me to have her summoned to assist you?"

Clawed toes planted on the ground, Inuyasha stopped and turned, his eyes flashing their irritation. "Fuck no! I can get my own damn bath ready. No need to go buggin' her."

Quickly turning back, Inuyasha missed the smirk lighting Sesshomaru's face, but did hear the toneless, "As you wish," his mate uttered as he walked through the door separating his rooms from those of Sesshomaru. Reaching back, Inuyasha started to slide the door closed but thought better of it before actually completing the action. Shrugging his shoulders, the hanyou thought it really didn't matter anymore and couldn't fight the warm smile that thought brought to his face.

::::::::::

Coming out of his bathing chambers to a waiting Norim was becoming far too familiar to Inuyasha and he made a mental note that that shit needed to stop pretty damn quick. Huffing, the hanyou rolled his eyes when Norim bowed. "You know you don't gotta do that in front of me."

Straightening, Norim moved closer, the smile on his face oddly genuine. "Sometimes we do not always do things out of necessity, but sheer desire."

Even more confused, Inuyasha turned, the damp ends of his hair sticking to his robe. "Why the fuck would you wanna bow to me?"

Chuckling, Norim thought of explaining to Inuyasha why he didn't mind bowing to the hanyou, or more to the point, why he actually liked doing it – why it made him feel good, but thought Inuyasha was still too naïve in the ways of youkai court life to understand his feelings. So instead, he simply asked, "How are you feeling today?"

The word, "fine," was at the tip of Inuyasha's tongue before he thought better of it. Answering with that one word would most likely only increase the amount of fussing Norim was bound to do. "Better than yesterday, but still sore and tired."

Eyebrows shooting up, Norim was surprisingly pleased by the honest reply. "That is to be expected. If you would allow, I would like to examine your ribs."

Shoulder's slumping slightly; Inuyasha gave a reluctant shrug and grunted out a, "Figured you'd say that."

Smile still firmly in place, Norim took a few steps closer, his hand alight with a pale, blue glow. Once satisfied, the healer pulled away and gave his report. "Your ribs are healing well. It would be wise to wrap them again for the day and I shall have a healing tea brought up for you to drink both this morning and this evening."

Mumbling a quiet, "Whatever make's ya happy," Inuyasha began looking through his clothing options. Soon enough, the hanyou was second-guessing his earlier statement about not needing Kitanya. It was the bear submissive that normally pulled out whatever it was he was supposed to wear. Finally giving a huff, Inuyasha reached in and grabbed something he'd worn a few days ago.

Eyes still concentrated on the kimono before him, Inuyasha glanced up before asking, "You weren't too hard on him last night, were ya?"

Without having said his mate's name, Norim figured the hanyou was speaking of Masaru and shook his head. "No. At least I was no more harsh on him than times before when he has done something I do not wholly agree with."

Looking up, Inuyasha took a minute to think on that and finally nodded. "'Kay, I guess that makes sense."

Shooting a quick glance toward Sesshomaru's rooms, Norim's eyes narrowed in thought for a moment before coming to a decision. Taking a deep breath, the healer decided to risk offending his new prince and asked, "Did you and Prince Sesshomaru have an opportunity to talk last night?"

Inuyasha was beginning to think he'd never clear the blush from his face. Nodding sharply, the hanyou ran a hand over the soft kimono in his arms. "Yeah, we got some stuff straightened up."

Sighing with relief, Norim felt his body relax. After what had happened yesterday, he'd sought out Miroku's council and learned far more than he'd ever wanted to know. Between the monk's words and the conversation Masaru had had with Prince Sesshomaru, Norim felt his anxiety brewing to new heights. But given how much more relaxed and at ease Inuyasha seemed this morning, he'd dared to hope that yesterday's events were the catalyst that was needed.

Gathering his bandaging materials, Norim moved forward to begin his task while Inuyasha pulled open the ties of his robe. Wrapping the fresh material around the hanyou, Norim kept his eyes on his task while he spoke. "I shall not question you further on the matter but shall only say that it is good to know that you have both spoken."

Tucking the corner of the last strip of bandage material, Norim ran his hands quickly down his work and smiled before stepping back and allowing Inuyasha to cover himself once more. Seeing the continued flush coloring the hanyou's skin only broadened Norim's smile before his thoughts turned serious. "Inuyasha, never underestimate your importance to Prince Sesshomaru. You . . . your life, your very existence . . . " shaking his head, Norim had no idea of knowing just how much had been explained to the hanyou. "Just . . . try and stay out of harm's way. I will always do all I can to heal whatever ailment may afflict you, but please, do not take any unnecessary risks. We can ill afford to loose you."

Inuyasha was pretty damn sure Norim was exaggerating but was more interested in getting the healer out of his rooms so that he could finish dressing. Besides Sesshomaru, Norim was the only one to have willingly seen him naked, but that didn't mean he was nearly as comfortable with his nudity as Sesshomaru was. Unfortunately, thoughts of his nude mate did little to quell Inuyasha's cock. Looking down, the hanyou couldn't believe he still had the capacity to get hard considering what Sesshomaru had just done to him.

Given the look on Inuyasha's face, Norim doubted he'd heard anything he'd just said, but even if the hanyou had listened to his words, he doubted they'd made the kind of impact he'd wanted. Well, at least things seemed to be improving between his princes. Smiling, Norim ignored Inuyasha's earlier words and gave a low bow before leaving the InuHanyou to whatever fate Sesshomaru had for him.

:::::::::::

Sesshomaru silently stalked through the halls of the palace, his body betraying none of the deep, inner peace he was now experiencing. It had been five days since he and Inuyasha had come to a deeper understanding and three days since his mate was well enough to rut. In that three days, the Prince of the West had more than made good on his intentions to take his mate upon every surface, and within every corner of the palace. Yesterday, he'd decided to expand that area to the grounds surrounding the palace structure and had little doubt he would also start planning locations in neighboring lands as well.

Booted feet coming to a halt, Sesshomaru's mind recalled a field of midnight blooming flowers in a valley located within the Lord of the East's Lands. Inuyasha's skin would look beautiful against the deep red of those petals. Moving forward once more, Sesshomaru began mentally constructing the letter he intended to write to Lord Bellial. A visit to the Eastern Lands would not be a bad idea. He wasn't sure if Kitanya would like to visit her old homeland, but Sesshomaru was interested to know what Lord Bellial had decided to do with Jakotem and given what he'd learned of Kitanya's true personality, he somehow thought she might enjoy being given the opportunity to dole out some of the dominant bear's punishment, that is, if Jakotem was even still alive.

Even without those thoughts skirting his mind, Sesshomaru would have been ignorant to the small, babbling kappa trying to keep up with his long strides. Jaken's presence had long ago become something akin to distant background noise. And yet, without consciously acknowledging the small presence, Sesshomaru was confident that it would be there when needed.

Concentrating once more on his father's aura, Sesshomaru adjusted his course ever so slightly. A recent deluge had flooded one of the human villages within the Western Lands and Lord Inu no Taisho had gone to examine the damage himself and had been gone for several days. With everything that had happened with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru had not had the opportunity to speak with his father regarding the fact that his hanyou had found Tsuyoshi's rooms and was more than likely visiting them when he could get away from those sent to attend him.

As was typical within the youkai world: blood called to blood and it had made little difference that Inuyasha was a half-breed. Regardless, his hanyou had heard the call of his true father, dead all these long years, and heeded it. Had he needed any proof in the matter, Sesshomaru had found it in the low pulse Tessaiga was now emitting. The sword had found its new master and sang with its desire to be used once more.

It would take little effort for another to discover the truths he and his father knew and hid and Sesshomaru no longer saw the wisdom in keeping Inuyasha ignorant of his true heritage. Had he thought keeping the secret would keep his mate safe, Sesshomaru would have had no qualms in continuing to do so, but in this case, the Prince of the West was fairly certain that doing so was more risk than benefit.

There was also the issue that Inuyasha was sneaking off on his own when visiting Tsuyoshi's rooms. The fact that there had been no known attempts on Inuyasha's life thus far did little to calm Sesshomaru's concerns. In fact, the quiet in that regard did just the opposite. The royal family was always a target of some conspiracy or other and with Inuyasha being an untested half-breed; he would be seen as the weak link, the easy mark. In truth, it was simply a matter of time before an attempt was made. But that is all it would be – an attempt.

Turning another corner, Sesshomaru was almost at his father's private study. He didn't know exactly how Lord Inu no Taisho would react to the knowledge that Sesshomaru suspected Tessaiga had chosen a new master, but regardless of his father's wishes, should the powerful Sword of the Earth allow Inuyasha to wield it, then Sesshomaru would see it done. Although he had been younger when his uncle was alive, Sesshomaru had seen the mighty Tessaiga in action twice and it was a vision to behold. If Inuyasha could harness even a fraction of that power, then it would be yet another weapon to use in the fight to keep his mate safe.

With those thoughts in mind, Sesshomaru paused outside his father's door, just long enough for Inu no Taisho to register that his son was close by. Soon enough the InuYoukai heard the low, power-laced voice of his father invite him in. It was a voice that never failed to soothe Sesshomaru's soul.

::::::::::

Lifting an arm, Inuyasha wiped the sweat from his forehead. Ears perked high and swiveling atop his head, the hanyou kept his senses on full alert. Not that he was complaining, but these past few days, Sesshomaru had barely let him out of his sight's, and when he wasn't able to be physically present, then either Miroku, Masaru or Sango were. Inuyasha hadn't had a moment to himself to visit those tantalizing rooms or the sword that seemed to call to him. But today he'd had a spot of luck. With Inu no Taisho getting back, Sesshomaru needed to speak with his father about something or other. And through a serious of fortunate events, all of his other regular "baby sitters" were otherwise occupied by some type of commotion coming from one of the soldier's quarters.

And so, here he was, scurrying along hall after hall on his way to the rooms he felt so at ease within. Inuyasha was always so sad when visiting what he deemed, "his sword," and for some strange reason felt a burning need to let the blade know that things were better. No, better didn't even begin to describe how he truly felt.

Face burning, Inuyasha looked back on the last few days and would have thought them a dream if his ass wasn't so damn sore. But even as he thought about the pain radiating up his backside, the hanyou knew he didn't wish it any other way. Sesshomaru hadn't been lying or exaggerating when he'd told Inuyasha just how much he wanted him nor how insatiable his desire for the hanyou was. It was a fact Inuyasha was learning in the most erotically pleasant of ways.

Shyly smiling, Inuyasha thought back on those weeks before, when Sesshomaru would only take his body once or twice in a night and then leave. He'd thought that had been a lot, but in retrospect, it was nothing compared to what his body endured now. But he was holding up and the hanyou was very proud of that fact. He may not be a full-blooded youkai, but his body could handle whatever Sesshomaru dished out, at least, so far.

And it wasn't like Sesshomaru wasn't aware of the state of his body. In fact, more times than Inuyasha cared to think about, it was him begging for Sesshomaru to do more and almost always it was the InuYoukai whom showed some form or restraint.

Remembering a moment yesterday when Kitanya almost caught them in the bath, Inuyasha felt his clawed toe catch on a damaged floorboard and cursed his inattention. Bending down to inspect his injured toe, the hanyou felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention, his ears immediately swiveling back as he thought he caught the barest of sounds.

Silent, Inuyasha fought to calm his hammering pulse, his breathing coming back under control with every passing second. Bent over, the hanyou stayed as he was, quietly waiting and constantly listening. After a few seconds of hearing nothing, Inuyasha blew out a deep breath and began standing, only to stop midway at the odd sound of scraping.

Standing to full height, Inuyasha turned, but the hall behind him was as empty as it had been when he'd walked through moments ago. Amber eyes narrowed, Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath when he heard the sound again, closer now and instead of scraping it sounded almost like a crunch, as if something big was eating. It wasn't like any other sound the hanyou had heard while staying within the palace walls.

Stock-still and silent, Inuyasha felt his heart begin speeding. Whatever it was, the thing was getting closer and each passing second made him increasingly convinced that whatever it was wasn't something he wanted any part of. Inuyasha had never run from a fight, but he'd long ago leaned not to seek them out either. When there was no other option, you fought like hell, but when it was possible, the better choice was to avoid it. With that thought in mind, the only question was, to go back the way he came or to continue to his destination.

Deep within his soul, Inuyasha could swear he heard the sword pulse, calling him. Going to those rooms where he knew no one else would be didn't really make sense, but instinct told him that was the direction to go and his instincts had rarely led him astray.

Decision made, Inuyasha turned. He'd just started to run when one of the walls of the hall came crashing down. Turning, the hanyou saw dusty debris and vaguely thought about the fact that if he'd decided to go back in the direction he'd come from, that's about where he would have been when the wall collapsed. But that thought was fleeting and quickly followed by a cold and numbing fear. There was a reason the wall had done that, and the reason was now blocking the whole of the hallway.

Sucking in a deep breath, the hanyou almost instantly regretted the action when the dust of the debris sent him coughing. But despite this, Inuyasha quickly realized there was something strange about this thing standing before him. There was no scent. Blinking rapidly, Inuyasha could see and hear the beast, but he couldn't smell it. Everything had a scent and the lack of it here made it seem like it wasn't really there.

Eyes clearing of the dust littering the hall, Inuyasha finally got a full view of what was there and stumbled backwards. In all his years fighting for survival in the wilds, he'd seen and fought a lot of youkai, but never in his life had he ever seen something like this. Eyes straining against the haze, Inuyasha struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. Seemingly dazed at having broken through the wall, the monstrosity stood there, slowly moving at first. But as it recovered from its entry, dozen's of legs began undulating, like a large centipede, the legs wiggled, but that was only the back of the body. Rearing up, the front of the creature stood as high as the ceiling would allow. Head rising, the beast's enormous eyes focused on their target, its large, claw-like front legs rising in a snapping motion as its mouth opened revealing row upon row of razor sharp teeth. All told, Inuyasha thought it was most likely some type of insect youkai, but had no idea what kind.

The word, "Shit," had no more left his mouth than Inuyasha turned and began running as fast as his legs would allow. Behind him, he could hear the hissing skitter of what he imagined to be thousands of legs scrambling along the floor and walls. With only his ears rotated back, the hanyou relied on his hearing to gauge just how close the damn thing was.

Clawed does gripping the wooden floor tight, Inuyasha still wished to be back in the forest where he could get better purchase and had more options. But it did little good to wish for such things. Long ago the he'd learned that sometimes you just had to fight with what you had and unfortunately, right now, he didn't have much.

Moving too fast around a corner, Inuyasha's shoulder hit the wall and he just barely managed to push off and dart forward again before one of the creature's clawed forearms snapped at the air where he'd just been. Dashing forward, he heard yet another wall come crashing to the ground. With all the noise the damn thing was making, and all the heightened senses of all the fucking pure-ass youkai living in this place, you'd think someone would come to investigate what was going on. But the palace was huge and hoping for aid was one of the surest ways to get your ass killed. Not to mention, as far as Inuyasha knew, whatever had necessitated Masaru, Sango, and Miroku's attention was still going on and from what he understood, it was on the far side of the palace grounds.

Turning down one last hall, Inuyasha saw the doors he was looking for. Extending his arms, his claw tipped fingers gripped the edge and yanked, slamming the thing open. Wasting no time, the hanyou scrambled forward, leaping across the room as the thing chasing him busted through the small opening that was once an elegant entrance. Using a nearby chair as vault, Inuyasha jumped, his hand aiming for the sword calling to him on the wall, but just as he was about to grasp it, he was hit in the side with one of the creature's legs. Head ducked, the hanyou rolled away just as one of those piercing claws demolished the wall the sword had been on – the sword lost somewhere within the rubble.

"Fuck." Shuffling back, Inuyasha managed to get a little space between him and the monster. Large and cumbersome, the thing that was after him wasn't nearly as quick and nimble and took time to be able to turn its body. The hanyou was just thinking it was an advantage when he caught movement from the corner of his eye and barely managed to dodge the dagger-like tail that was swung at him.

Body slamming into a wall, Inuyasha's eyes went wide as his nose finally picked up some type of noxious scent – poison. Staring down at the spot where the tip of the tail had embedded itself in the wooden floor, the hanyou's face twisted with fresh worry. Before him, the floor was disintegrating as the creature pumped poison from the appendage. No matter what, he couldn't let that thing get even the barest of scratches along his skin.

Inuyasha growled in disgust. "Poison. It had to be fuckin' poison too."

Enormous head twisting, the creatures round eyes rolled until coming to focus on its prey, its sharp teeth chattering in a high pitch screech.

Ear's flattening, Inuyasha cringed at the noise, his head ringing with pain. Fed up with being chased, snapped, and stabbed at, Inuyasha saw an opportunity and literally jumped at it. Claws bared and at the ready, the hanyou used one of the monster's legs and ran up its body, jumping on its back and aiming his lethal claws deep into its spine. But the only thing that happened was intense pain shooting up his arm as his claws did little but glance off the thick plates covering the insect-like body.

Momentarily shocked, Inuyasha didn't have time to readjust his footing as the thing reared, throwing him off to land on the debris that was once the wall holding the sword. Shaking out his hand, the hanyou cursed this wretched thing's existence while thinking it seemed to have been made to exploit his every weakness.

With a quick dodge to the side, Inuyasha barely managed to avoid the poison tail, but the tip did get the edge of his kimono, the fabric sizzling instantly. Scrambling out of the cloth, Inuyasha scooted back, his hands becoming scraped and cut by the fragments of wood and iron splintered across the floor. Mind whirling to come up with any type of plan, Inuyasha felt the tips of his fingers scrape something familiar, something that sent a pulsing warmth through his body. Without wasting the time to look, he gripped the familiar object and rolled to the side to avoid another jab of the creature's tail.

Rolling to a crouch, Inuyasha took a moment to glance down at the old sword within his hand. The thing always seemed so rusty and useless, but at that moment, the hanyou saw little other option and without another thought, grabbed the hilt and pulled.

:::::::::::

Inu no Taisho sat behind his desk, a sad, but fond smile stretched across his lips as he listened to his son tell him that his nephew and son-in-law had found Tsuyoshi's rooms and had been visiting them without anyone else's knowledge. The fact that Tessaiga seemed to have accepted the hanyou and wished him as its new master was not unwelcome or surprising news. In fact, the Lord of the West had been suspicious that something was stirring within the old sword of his brother. Glancing down at Tenseiga, Inu no Taisho gripped the sword's hilt, relishing in the gentle, accepting pulse that greeted him. Not long after Inuyasha's arrival, Tenseiga had seemed different – lighter, warmer, happier. Tenseiga had sensed Tessaiga's awakening and was rejoicing in its brother's revitalization.

Mind preoccupied as it was, the Lord of the West didn't catch that Sesshomaru had stopped speaking and when he did notice, he had no idea just how much time had passed. Looking up into his son's cold eyes, Inu no Taisho only smiled. "Do not concern yourself. I am not displeased nor am I surprised by this outcome."

"I did not believe you would be, but this development leads me to believe that it would be wise to inform Inuyasha as to his true origins."

Smile pulling into a frown, Inu no Taisho nodded. "As is usually the case, you are correct, my son. Perhaps I should have done so from the start." Sighing deeply, the Lord of the West caressed Tenseiga once more before reaching for a much needed cup of sake. "But as with many things in life, the decision was what it was and must now be amended."

Hand almost to his cup, Inu no Taisho's eyes pinched together as he saw the fluid ripple with movement. And not only the cup, but also his body had registered the barest of vibrations. Looking up, the Lord of the West's eyes connected with the burning gold of his son.

Not waiting for his father to ask the question, Sesshomaru simply answered, "I felt it as well."

Frown growing deeper, Inu no Taisho went silent for a moment before stating, "It is my understanding that there was an incident in one of the soldier's barracks and that Masaru is attending to it. But the barracks involved are on the far northern side of the palace grounds."

Inside, Sesshomaru began feeling a great unease. Inuyasha was supposed to be training with Masaru, but if something were truly dangerous, the tiger youkai would not have taken his hanyou into the situation. Mind weeding through the possibilities, it just registered with Sesshomaru what his father meant. "The northern barracks are far from the palace. Whatever is occurring there should have no affect here."

"Agreed," Inu no Taisho answered while standing. No more had he risen than both Inu's felt the palace vibrate again, the feeling faint and barely noticeable.

Also standing, Sesshomaru found his unease rising and whispered a barely audible, "Father," right before Miroku's voice was heard on the other side of the door.

Eyes still locked upon his son, Inu no Taisho commanded the monk to, "Enter."

Looking rather haggard, Miroku stumbled into the room, his staff held at a lower angle than normal. "My Lord, Masaru asked me to come and let you know that the fire engulfing the northern barracks is almost under control." Shaking his head, the monk was just about to say how odd the whole situation had been when he was interrupted by Sesshomaru's ice-cold voice. "Where is Inuyasha?"

Blinking once, Miroku thought for a moment before waving his hand in an attempt to alleviate his prince's concern. "Not to worry. Masaru told Inuyasha to go back to his rooms. He wouldn't endanger Inuyasha in that way."

But Sesshomaru was hardly mollified. In fact, his fear was only increasing because by the looks of things, Miroku had been with Masaru and not with his hanyou. "Who went with him?"

"Huh? Oh, none of us could do that as the fire took all our efforts." Irritated by what he thought was dramatic overreaction, Miroku sighed. "None of us would have taken him into such an unpredictable situation as a burst fire."

"Burst fire?" Inu no Taisho asked. "How on earth did a burst fire start in the northern barracks?"

"I . . . well, Lady Sango and I were wondering the same thing, but – "

"But you sent Inuyasha alone back to our rooms!" Sesshomaru bellowed, his rage getting the better of him as his eyes swam crimson.

Confused, Miroku thought that his life had been spared earlier when they'd managed to get the seemingly uncontrollable flames doused, but now he wasn't so sure. "Has something happened to Inuyasha?"

Moving to intervene, Inu no Taisho took a step only to halt at the thundering pulse suddenly emitting from the sword at his hip. Eyes wide, the Lord of the West stared down at Tenseiga, the Sword of Heaven alight with a glow he hadn't seen in over a century.

Seeing his father's reaction, Sesshomaru moved quickly, coming to stand next to his sire as he demanded, "What is it?"

Hand gripping the hilt of Tenseiga tightly, Inu no Taisho turned worried eyes up to his son. "Its Tessaiga."

"Tessaiga?"

Nodding at his son, Inu no Taisho swallowed before explaining, "Tessaiga has awakened."

No more had those words passed his lips than Sesshomaru was little more than a blur of movement, his son racing through the palace in search of his mate.

 _Oh, I know . . . once again you are all probably hating me for ending it there. The good news is that it's this story's turn for mid-week update so the next chapter should be up on Thurs. As I stated earlier, we are going to start moving things along. Our most recent villain will be declared (I hope in a new and interesting way) and pretty soon you'll be getting a bit more info. on just why Sesshomaru doesn't like spider youkai._

 _Until then, I hope you all have a good week. Oh, and for those of you reading the Chaos story, the update should still be on Tues, but might be a little later than usual. I normally have that day off, but this week have to work then. I'll try and get it ready tonight so it can go up Tues, but the time will depend on when I get home from my paying job._

 _lunamist_


	21. Chapter 21

_Hello everyone. So, mid-week update time. This one's going up a bit earlier because I oddly have today off. Had a reviewer ask if Inu no Taisho and his brother had a more than brotherly relationship in this fic. Not here, not within the realm of impossibility, but I like thinking that Izayoi was kind of it for Tsuyoshi and the same for Shayou and Inu no Taisho. Good thought though and interesting to consider._

 _I'm glad most of you liked the last chapter and are anxious to see what happens next. This chapter is a bit shorter, but we learn something new and important about our potential bad guys. We'll learn even more in the chapter Sunday night._

 _Chapter 21 . . ._

For the briefest of moments, Inuyasha could only stare, his amber orbs large and amazed at what he now held in his hand. Always before, when he'd pulled the sword out, it had been little more than a thin, rusted blade. But now . . . now the sword was anything but thin or rusted. Gleaming through the chaos that was once a simply elegant set of rooms, the sword shone with a fierceness that both awed and taxed the young InuHanyou.

Whispering an amazed, "Holy shit," Inuyasha felt the muscles in his arms strain at the weight they now held. But there was little time to ogle the magnificent sword as the creature moved to attack again, its tail angling down, and its aim spot on. Without thought, a grunt tore through Inuyasha as he pulled the sword from the ground, the arch of the blade slicing through the air until it made contact with the hard shell of the monstrosity attacking him, the powerful weapon easily slicing through the protective plates and to the meat below.

Following the arch of the weapon, Inuyasha moved out of the way as the poisonous tail landed on what remained of the flooring with a wet thud. Above him, the creature shrieked, the noise piercing through the room and sending a jolt of white-hot pain through the hanyou's brain. Having no other objective than to stop that painful noise, Inuyasha's arms lashed out, the sword in his hands shearing through the creature's neck, its head tumbling to the floor and oddly winding up on top of the remnants of its tail, the leaking poison sizzling along the flesh of one of its sightless eyes.

Shaky and exhausted, the sword within Inuyasha's hand lay mostly upon the floor. Panting, Inuyasha's grip tightened as he moved forward. After a battle it was always important to verify that your enemy was dead, or at the very least, incapacitated. With that thought in mind, the hanyou moved closer. Using the last of his strength, Inuyasha poked at the beast with the edge of the sword, pleased when nothing happened.

Relieved, Inuyasha shuffled backwards until he hit one of the remaining, intact walls. Letting out a shaky sigh, he was just beginning to allow the tension to leave his muscles when he felt a powerful youkai aura speeding in his direction. Body clenched for more battle, it was only at the last moment that he realized the youkai presence he was feeling was that of his mate, Sesshomaru.

No more had that thought registered than Sesshomaru was standing before him, eyes a bloody crimson and lips pulled back in a feral snarl. To any other, the sight would have been the stuff of nightmares, but for Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's presence and state did just the opposite. Relaxed and feeling that rare emotion of safety, Inuyasha was barely aware of the instant the sword within his hand transformed back into its more quiescent form.

Leaning heavily on the wall behind him. Inuyasha gave a lazy, amused smile. "Hey, nice of ya to show up." Looking past Sesshomaru's foreboding body, the hanyou nudged his head in the direction of the now expired creature. "I had a bit of trouble earlier, but – " sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha winced when Sesshomaru pulled him in, pressing the whole of their bodies together.

"Hey!" anything else he might have wanted to say vanished from Inuyasha's lips as he was held tight. This close, the hanyou could easily feel the nearly imperceptible tremors that seemed to be assaulting his mate's body. Nuzzling in, Inuyasha was suddenly aware that Sesshomaru's trembling wasn't just from anger but distress. Head shifted to the side, the hanyou allowed his mate to bury his nose in his neck, the mate mark on his flesh flaring with Sesshomaru's touch.

Voice much calmer now, Inuyasha uttered the same word he had earlier, his tone completely changing the word's meaning as he whispered, "Hey. I ain't even bleedin'. Nothin' to get worked up about."

In response, a rumbling growl emitted from deep within Sesshomaru's throat. Holding Inuyasha close, the Prince of the West was soothed when he realized his mate was correct, not a drop of precious InuHanyou blood had been spilt. However, the scent of poison was rank through the air and what was disturbing was that it was not the odor of his noxious brew but that of something far more foul tainting the area.

In those few precious moments it took for Sesshomaru to get his youkai under control, Inu no Taisho had come upon them, the Lord of the West quickly taking in the scene and shuddering at what had become of the rooms his brother had once called home. All around little remained of the sanctuary Tsuyoshi had created. Fortunately, what did remain was his brother's most valuable contribution to the world, his son, Inuyasha.

Confident the hanyou was not harmed too severely, Inu no Taisho concentrated on the remains of the creature responsible for the mess they now found themselves in. Beside him, the InuDaiYoukai could feel Miroku's presence, the monk's chiming staff the only sound within the small space. Without looking in his servant's direction, the Lord of the West ordered, "Get Norim."

"Yes, my Lord," Miroku answered before disappearing back into the palace.

Keeping his distance, Inu no Taisho allowed his son to do what he needed in order to placate his barely contained youkai. Inu no Taisho knew what it was to have a mate threatened and how his own youkai had howled and he and Shayou did not even share a True Bond like Sesshomaru did with Inuyasha. How his son must be feeling was something the Lord of the West could only vaguely contemplate. What he did know was that it was in everyone's best interest to allow Sesshomaru to regain control in his own time. To interfere now would only create an alternative target for his powerful son to strike out against.

Positioned as he was, Inuyasha could just barely see the Lord of the West standing far off to the side, Inu no Taisho's posture and demeanor appearing carefully controlled. Still tightly held, the hanyou knew Sesshomaru had calmed some, but the tension was still there, like an ember waiting for fuel. Having no idea what to do, Inuyasha stood for a few moments longer, but the death grip Sesshomaru had on him was doing nothing for his bruised and battered flesh and more than anything, the hanyou was starting to get antsy not being able to move.

Squirming, Inuyasha was dismayed to find that he couldn't budge Sesshomaru's strong hold. Blowing out a deep breath, he'd finally had enough. "Oy, bastard. I already told ya I ain't hurt too badly so get the fuck off and give me a little room to breathe."

For a moment, Inuyasha thought he might have done the wrong thing as he felt Sesshomaru's grip tighten, not loosen, but just as quickly, the InuYoukai's arms relaxed enough for Inuyasha to push away, his amber eyes staring up into Sesshomaru's crimson tainted orbs. Huffing, the hanyou placed both his hands on his mate's chest and pushed even further away. "Honestly, with the way you're actin' you'd of thought that it was my head layin' on the floor instead of that fucker's." At the last, Inuyasha inclined his head toward the oozing monstrosity littering what was left of the wooden slatted floor.

Lips pulled into a thin line; Sesshomaru's icy mask was firmly back in place as his eyes shimmered golden once more. "Do not jest about something such as that, Inuyasha. Not with this Sesshomaru."

Now completely released, Inuyasha reached up to scratch behind an ear only to find that hand still holding onto the rusty sword that had most likely saved his life. "Yeah, well . . . it ain't my head lyin' there so I need you to calm down and help me figure out what the fuck that thing is and why it was chasin' me."

Giving only a slight nod of his head, Sesshomaru finally turned from his mate, but even so, he kept mokomoko draped around Inuyasha's back, the bulk of the fur settling on cupping their mate's ass. Eyes narrowed, the InuYoukai had to battle down his angered youkai all over again. The creature lying dead upon the floor was truly detestable. And more than that, it appeared to be a youkai like none he had ever encountered before.

"Father, do you know what this . . . _thing_ is?"

Content that Sesshomaru had settled enough, Inu no Taisho moved forward, the gleaming white hair pulled up atop his head shifting from side to side as he answered, "No. I have ordered Miroku to bring Norim here." Frowning, the Lord of the West bent down beside the beast's head. "I have never before seen its like."

Pushing further into the room, Inuyasha took a few steps closer, silently comforted when mokomoko moved with him. "-Keh, I thought it would make me feel better if you didn't know what it was too, but that ain't exactly the case." Mouth pulled down into a frown, Inuyasha closed his eyes in thought before letting out a deep breath. "The way it looks ain't even the weirdest part about it though."

"What do you mean?"

Glancing up at his mate, Inuyasha shrugged. "It didn't have a scent. I mean, you can smell the poison and all, but there's nothin' else. I've never run across anything that didn't smell like somethin'."

Pulling back, Inu not Taisho looked down on the remnants of the creature with fresh worry. Drawing in a deep breath, the Lord of the West sifted through the stench of the poison, separating out the scents of his son and nephew, only to stiffen at the realization that Inuyasha was right. Beyond the smell of poison, there was nothing. Standing, Inu no Taisho kept his eyes on the dead youkai as he questioned, "Sesshomaru?"

Knowing what his father was asking, Sesshomaru answered, "I scent nothing beyond the poison."

"Damn," Inu no Taisho muttered right before a hushed gasp filled the room. Finally turning, the Lord of the West saw Norim and Miroku standing at what was once the entry to his brother's rooms. It was the healer whom had made the noise. Nodding once to Miroku, Inu no Taisho pointed to the beaten youkai while ordering, "I want you both to examine this abomination."

"Me?" Miroku questioned. "I do not mean to disagree, but I am hardly trained in the same arts as Norim. I fear I would be more of a hindrance."

"True," Inu no Taisho grunted, "but you were raised by holy monks and were trained in those arts. I fear we are in need of such knowledge at this time."

Taking a moment to take that in, Miroku's lips parted, his mouth slightly agape as he asked, "You do not mean – "

"That is exactly what I mean. Now, get to work."

Swallowing hard, Miroku nodded before hurrying forward, he and Norim quickly fully concentrated on the task before them.

Amber eyes drifting back and forth, Inuyasha felt his confusion rise and unconsciously gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. "What the fuck are you guys talkin' about?" In that moment, Inuyasha could have cared less that he was addressing the Lord of all the Western Lands so callously.

Far from offended by the tone of his nephew turned son-in-law, Inu no Taisho finally looked to Inuyasha, his eyes automatically falling to the sword gripped within the hanyou's hand. What Inuyasha so nonchalantly held, no other could. None had been able to grip Tessaiga's hilt without suffering the sword's rejection since Tsuyoshi's death. It was a sight that simultaneously healed and gutted the Lord of the West. Pushing those feelings aside, Inu no Taisho simply answered, "As soon as I am certain, all relevant knowledge shall be revealed."

Inuyasha wasn't exactly happy with the answer, but thought there was probably little he could do about it. And so, giving a quiet huff, the hanyou settled back into the soft, cradling comfort of mokomoko.

Sensing there was little to do now but wait, Sesshomaru turned his full attention back toward his mate. Leaning down, the InuYoukai whispered into a large, twitching ear, "Inuyasha, are there any injuries this Sesshomaru should be aware of that are more than they appear to be?"

Hearing those words would once have sent instant irritation racing through Inuyasha's body, but knowing what he now did regarding his mate's true feelings and concerns, the hanyou simply fidgeted while giving the question proper scrutiny. Taking a moment to inventory his body, Inuyasha was pleased when he could honestly answer, "Nah, mostly just bruises and sore muscles. The fucker did come close to fryin' my arm with that poison shit. I'm afraid this kimono is probably done for."

Sesshomaru felt something ease deep within his soul at the thoughtful answer as well as the fact that Inuyasha did indeed seem to be as well as he'd originally surmised. "Kimono's are easily replaced. Certain InuHanyou's are not."

Despite his fatigue, Inuyasha blushed before smacking Sesshomaru in the arm, a move he almost instantly regretted when the blow reverberated up his own. With an embarrassed, "-Keh," Inuyasha pointedly looked at what Miroku and Norim were up to and desperately tried to ignore his preening mate. But the more he looked, the more confused he got. "What are they doin'?" Then, thinking better of his question he rephrased it, "I mean, I get what Norim is doin' but what the fuck is the monk up to?"

Following Inuyasha's gaze, Sesshomaru's own narrowed. When he'd heard his father ask Miroku to look at the corpse, he'd had an inkling as to what his sire was concerned about. And, while Norim was clearly looking for physical clues as to what type of youkai they were dealing with, Miroku was simply standing there, the staff he constantly carried outstretched and hovering over the remains. Eyes closed, the monk's mouth moved as he silently chanted words and phrases that meant little to nothing to the youkai within the room. And yet, there was reason and intent to each and every one of Miroku's actions. With continued gentle sweeps of his staff, the monk continued his own type of exam in silent contemplation.

Unsure how to exactly answer his hanyou's question, Sesshomaru finally settled on, "The monk has his own _unique_ set of skills."

Thinking back on what he knew of Miroku made Inuyasha snort. "I'll say."

Concentrated as he was, Miroku heard none of the banter currently going on at his expense. What he was more interested in was the faint aura he felt coming from somewhere deep within the heart of the disturbing creature laying upon the floor. Chanting sacred words and phrases, the monk concentrated his energy into his staff, using the old wood and metal as a type of divining rod. And as he made each pass over the remains, his chants strengthened the power and focus within his staff, the faint aura growing stronger and more persistent as each second passed.

Like a moth to a flame, the thing buried deep within the remains that seemed to be calling to Miroku's chanted power began to pulse ever hotter. Closing in, Miroku's staff circled and then hovered, the metal rings hanging at the end purposefully dangling and pointing to a singular spot near the location where the creature's tail had been severed. Eyes opening wide, Miroku gasped, "There," before looking to Norim and pointing.

Elbow deep in already rotting youkai tissue, Norim's head shot up at Miroku's statement, his eyes immediately following and zeroing in on where the monk was pointing. Extracting himself from his current location, the healer began sifting through the muck of body parts, separating flesh while looking for what Miroku had found. Within seconds Norim pulled back, his eyes wide and face pallid. "Is that – "

"It is," Miroku answered. "I wouldn't advise touching it either." Pulling up his robes, the monk shuffled through the dead youkai until he could reach his goal. Hands tight upon his staff, Miroku tilted the end down, its metal rings innocently chiming through the air as it descended. With a few deft movements, Miroku successfully maneuvered the end of his staff under the object and began lifting. When finally free of the tissue, the monk tossed the object onto the floor.

Curious, Inuyasha inched closer to whatever had Norim and Miroku so worked up, but all he could see was bloody tissue. "I don't get it. Why's everybody so damn upset?"

Having moved along with his hanyou, Sesshomaru let out a hissing breath when he spotted the unmistakable kanji written on the seemingly innocent piece of paper. Ignoring his mate, the InuYoukai looked to his father. "It is as you thought."

Deeply frowning, Inu no Taisho nodded his head. "Unfortunately, that seems to be the case."

"What's as you thought?" Inuyasha was quickly going from curious to pissed off. Somebody needed to start answering questions and pronto.

"Miroku, perhaps you would be the best one to explain the situation."

Eyes flashing toward the Lord of the West, Miroku gave a shallow nod before taking a deep breath and turning his attention to the hanyou. "I will answer your questions, but first I must ask one of our healer." Not waiting for an answer, the monk's eyes drifted in Norim's direction. "Am I correct in assuming that the youkai our young InuHanyou managed to slay is not of a natural origin."

"That is correct. It is an amalgamation of at least four different youkai species."

"What?" Inuyasha's amber eyes were suddenly large and round. He knew he didn't recognize what it was that had been attacking him, but still . . . "That doesn't make any sense."

Head shaking, Miroku looked more solemn than Inuyasha thought he'd ever seen him. "In this case, I'm afraid it isn't." Straightening his shoulders, Miroku gripped his staff tightly. Eyes briefly drifting toward Sesshomaru, the monk felt his breath catch. As stoic and difficult to read as the Prince of the West usually was made the times when he allowed emotions to show through all the more frightening and currently Sesshomaru looked beyond pissed.

Miroku was one of the few youkai within the West that had a working understanding of the deep betrayal that had occurred between Sesshomaru and a spider youkai named Naraku. When the Prince of the West had discovered the full breadth of that betrayal, huge swaths of land had been leveled in Sesshomaru's fury and when it was over, there was barely enough of Naraku's body left to identify and burn. Given Miroku's poor understanding of time, he could only guess at just how long the InuYoukai had been gone from the palace after that. And, when Sesshomaru had returned, it was an even colder and more removed version than the original.

Looking down at the offensive paper lying on the ground, Miroku felt his jaw clench in disgust and anger. Sesshomaru was just beginning to become the youkai lord that Miroku knew he could be and Inuyasha was the lynch pin, the driving force of change. To think that those damn spider youkai were still this treacherous, still trying to destroy the Heir of the West, made Miroku yearn to let loose his Wind Tunnel on the lot of them.

Lost as he was in his memories and anger, Miroku had all but forgotten about the still confused and agitated hanyou before him, but Inuyasha was not one to be ignored for long and the monk soon found annoyed amber eyes staring up at him from much closer than they'd once been.

Frustrated, Inuyasha got right up in Miroku's face. "You gonna spill what ya know or am I gonna have to beat it outta ya?"

Despite everything that was happening, Miroku felt the corners of his mouth lilt up at the edges, a genuine smile stealing across his face. "I see no need for further violence." Looking down to the sword still clutched within the hanyou's hand, Miroku added, "Especially when you are still so armed."

Attention back on the sword, Inuyasha felt a possessive wave rush through him at the thought of letting it go. That sword had most likely saved his life and besides, the damn thing seemed to talk to him. There was no way he was letting it go now. "Get used to it, 'cause I ain't about to put it down. Now, are you gonna get on with it or not?"

"Indeed, when put in such a way, it hardly seems possible to keep my silence."

"-Keh, you got a silver tongue when you want, monk."

Far from being offended, Miroku's smile grew larger before remembering why they were all there. Sighing, the monk shifted his weight to the backs of his heels before looking down on the kanji laden paper still lying on the floor. "In short, what attacked you was not something nature created, but the work of a powerful youkai sorcerer."

"Huh? A youkai sorcerer? I've never heard of such a thing."

"For that, Inuyasha, you should be grateful," Norim answered before turning his head away. Wrapping his arms around his torso, Norim greatly wanted Masaru's presence and knew that as soon as he was given leave, he would search out his mate.

Inuyasha didn't like the obvious unease the healer was feeling, nor did he like Norim's continued pallor. Without thought, the hanyou took a few steps back, his body coming into contact with Sesshomaru's, mokomoko instantly wrapping tightly around his frame and pulling him in close. "So, is anybody gonna explain to me what we're dealin' with here or not?"

"Go on, Miroku."

Hearing the command from his Lord, Miroku closed his eyes before continuing. "Youkai sorcerer's are rare and we all thank the gods for that. Sorcery is a practice that is seldom used for anything good. Although many humans view youkai in general as abominations, there is nothing unnatural about us. We are born to this world and shall return to it when we die. What happens in the afterlife is a question best posed to those whom have already ventured into those deep lands. Being born of the natural world, we must follow its laws. True, youkai power often manipulates the laws of nature, but a youkai's true power is in harnessing and manipulating nature's fury into a useful weapon."

Thinking back to his own skills and abilities, Inuyasha thought what the monk said made sense. He'd never really thought about it in those terms, but now that he did, he thought it actually explained a lot. "Okay, so how is a youkai sorcerer different?"

"How they differ is not always easy to explain and the line is sometimes razor thin." Looking back at the decaying bits and pieces of youkai behind him, Miroku's mouth formed a pursed line. "But in this case, I believe that line is easily seen." Pointing down to the paper upon the floor, Miroku explained, "That paper is enchanted with a spell which was cast by a youkai sorcerer. The monstrosity that attacked you was a beast created at the cost of at least four youkai lives with, what I assume to be, the singular purpose of killing you."

"I might not have Miroku's talents with the spiritual, but I do know anatomy and the monk is correct," Norim interjected. Walking back to the failing pieces of flesh, Norim pointed to different sections as he continued. "The creature has the head of a banshee youkai, the body plating of a chrysalis youkai, the legs and speed of a centipede youkai and the pinchers, tail and poison of a scorpion youkai. Given Inuyasha's heightened hearing, the screech of the banshee would have caused severe, distracting mental pain. As sharp as Inuyasha's claws are, they would have been no match for the plated armor and the legs were obviously aimed at keeping up with our quick hanyou. I believe it is fairly obvious the use for the scorpion parts." Head shaking, Norim was becoming increasingly impressed that Inuyasha had managed to survive at all. "We are fortunate that you survived."

At those words, a low growl erupted from Sesshomaru's chest. "We all know who is responsible for this." Soon the room began swimming with his infuriated youkai.

Muscles stiffening, Inu no Taisho looked hard at his son and then to the worried look in Inuyasha's eyes. "Sesshomaru, your mate is strong and capable. Inuyasha is not so easily defeated. As with everything in life, you have chosen wisely and today's events only prove how powerful you are."

Unable to look away from his mate, Inuyasha wondered what in the hell had gotten into Sesshomaru. He was fine and the injuries he'd obtained were hardly worth complaining about. Sesshomaru knew that and yet he was still losing control. "Hey, Sesshomaru. You need to calm down before you scare everybody away. You're father's right. I ain't so damn easy to kill and now the fucker that did this knows what happens when they come after me."

Blinking the red from his eyes, Sesshomaru stared down at his young mate, breathing in the cleansing scent of his hanyou. "Forgive me, Inuyasha. This Sesshomaru will not loose control again."

"-Keh, good." Taking his mate at his word, Inuyasha dared to ask, "So, you said you knew who did this so who the fuck do I need to go and kill?"

His mate's fire relieved some of Sesshomaru's stress and relaxed his youkai. "You will not be killing anyone."

"That ain't fair! They came after – "

"You would deny this Sesshomaru the joy of slaughtering those who have threatened his mate?"

Put like that, Inuyasha simply huffed his annoyance. "You really wanna be the one to eliminate 'em?"

"It would be my pleasure."

Those few short words sent a shiver of fear racing down Inuyasha's spine. True, the hanyou never backed away from a fight and would kill when needed, but the way Sesshomaru had just said it, Inuyasha got the distinct impression his mate would find incredible joy in the act. Then again, if the role was reversed and some idiot had attacked Sesshomaru, Inuyasha probably would have felt pretty psyched to put their ass down.

With that thought in mind, the hanyou shrugged his shoulders and answered a simple, "Sure, whatever makes ya happy."

In answer, Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru nuzzle his neck, the InuYoukai rumbling his pleasure into the hanyou's flesh.

Although Inu no Taisho agreed with his son as to whom was most likely behind the attack, he also had the clarity of mind to understand that heavy-handed slaughter was not the way to proceed. Doing so could instigate a costly war. They all needed to be absolutely sure as to whom the true culprit was before taking action. Watching as Sesshomaru nuzzled into Inuyasha's neck, the Lord of the West smiled at the genuine affection and embarrassed joy his nephew took in those actions.

 _Nephew_

The word hung before Inu no Taisho's mind just as Tessaiga now hung from Tsuyoshi's son's hand. There was so much more that needed to be spoken of this day, but more than anything, he wanted out of his brother's destroyed rooms and that was just what they were all going to do. "Norim, go to Masaru and fill him in on what has happened here. Neither of you are to speak of this with anyone else. Tell Masaru I want a full report as to what happened at the Northern barracks. I shall be in my office for the foreseeable future. If I am not there, he is to seek me out and inform me no matter where I might be. Is that understood?"

"It shall be as you wish."

"Good, you may leave."

Norim didn't need any further prompting and quickly left the scene.

Looking back to the remains, the Lord of the West turned his attention to Miroku. "The remnants of the creature must be utterly destroyed so that it has no hope of resurrection. I am confident that you can see to this."

Sighing, Miroku nodded. "May I request Lady Sango's assistance in the matter?"

With a shake of his head, Inu no Taisho wondered if this was more of Miroku's infamous laziness or if the monk really found the work that distasteful. "If Lady Sango is willing to aid you, then it makes little difference to me. You may speak of today's occurrence with her, but to no one else."

Nodding once, Miroku didn't ask if that included Kirara or not. Long ago they had all discovered that the fire cat was but an extension of Sango and as such was seldom treated as an individual entity, especially when speaking of matters regarding security. With a world-weary sigh, Miroku scratched behind an ear before allowing his shoulders to slump. "Why did it have to be so damn big and heavy?"

A general silence was Miroku's answer as all the Inu's within the room gave the monk's complaint the attention it was due. With matters settled, the Lord of the West turned to his heirs. "There is much that still needs to be discussed but I, for one, would like to do so away from this stench."

Eyes distant and sad, Inuyasha looked around the rooms that he'd once felt so at peace within and found a new ache settling within his chest. Although he'd spent little actual time there, it had quickly become a place of refuge and now lay all but destroyed. And even though he knew that he wasn't technically to blame, the hanyou was well aware that if he hadn't run in that direction, the place that had welcomed him would have still been present and whole. In some odd way, he felt as if he'd committed some great betrayal.

Gaze landing fixedly upon where the wall had been that had once cradled the sword he still clung to, Inuyasha barely heard Sesshomaru say, "Come, it is time to go."

Fingers clenching down upon the hilt of the rusty sword, Inuyasha wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do with the weapon that had saved his life. Technically, the blade wasn't his, but he couldn't get his mind and youkai to fully understand that simple fact. There was simply no way he could leave the sword behind, even if it didn't technically belong to him. The answering pulse racing up his arm from that very same sword made the hanyou believe that the blade agreed.

Seeing the hesitation within his mate, Sesshomaru followed Inuyasha's gaze, his own moving from the spot Tessaiga had called home for so many decades to the piercing golden orbs of his father. Without a word spoken, Inu no Taisho understood his son-in-law's dilemma. Turning his back on his son and nephew, the Lord of the West began walking away, a stern, "You may bring the sword," stated as he began making his way out of the wing of the palace his brother had once called home.

Head snapping around, all Inuyasha saw was the swish of Inu no Taisho's long, silvery-white hair as the InuDaiYoukai walked away. Mouth slightly open, the hanyou turned to look at his mate, only to see that Sesshomaru was quickly following in his father's footsteps. Uttering a quiet, "-Keh," Inuyasha gripped his sword tighter, a barely there smile flitting across his lips at the thought of actually being able to hang on to the blade a little longer.

 _Hmmmm . . . a little food for thought in that one. Naraku was brought up again and now we have something called "Youkai sorcerers". Next chapter will finally have Inuyasha learn a few things about where he really comes from as well as a bit more about WTF went on with Naraku. Remember, nothing of the "romantic" variety between Naraku and Sesshomaru - so no worries there._

 _Next update should be on Sunday. Not sure what time. I have to work this weekend so it will be either earlier or later than normal (most likely). I'll try and go for earlier if I can._

 _As always, thanks for reading :-)_

 _lunamist_


	22. Chapter 22

_Good evening everyone! I'm glad most of you liked the last chapter and that Inuyasha finally has Tessaiga. Lots of questions regarding_ _sorcerer youkai and what the heck happened with Naraku. Some of you are wondering if he's really dead or not. Well, hopefully this chapter helps fill in some of those gaps. Inuyasha will also finally get the real scoop from his uncle and yes . . . Sesshomaru will need to do a little "reclaiming" of his hanyou mate._

 _Hope all of your last weeks went well. This story doesn't get mid-week update this time, so next update will be next Sunday. For those of you wondering, I think we have around 5 or 6 chapters after this one (give or take). I haven't exactly counted. I know there were 30 to begin with, but some have been combo'd into other other chapters so the number will be less._

 _Chapter 22 . . ._

"The sword that you now carry is named Tessaiga."

Blinking once, Inuyasha looked once to his sword and then to the Lord of the West. " _Tessaiga_." In answer to its name being spoken by its new, chosen master, Tessaiga visibly pulsed making Inuyasha's eyes widen all the more.

Face relaxed into a soft smile, Inu no Taisho thought back to his own brother, Tsuyoshi and wished he could be here to witness this moment. How proud his younger brother would have been of his half-breed son.

With thoughts of Tsuyoshi on his mind, Inu no Taisho slipped behind his desk and kneeled down, his hand quickly reaching for a nearby bottle of sake. "It has been far too long since I have seen Tessaiga so pleased. I had thought the sight might prove painful, but I am happy to say that it is quite the opposite."

Confused, Inuyasha stared down at the sword before looking up to Sesshomaru, but to his annoyance, the hanyou found that his mate had that irritatingly cold mask firmly back in place and reading any type of emotion on Sesshomaru's face would be an abhorrent waste of time. Well, if he wasn't going to get anything from his mate, then Inuyasha decided to focus on the only other being within the room that seemed to feel like talking. Flopping down in front of Inu no Taisho's desk, the hanyou stated, "It's been callin' to me almost since I got here. I didn't know swords could do that."

Downing the contents of his cup, Inu no Taisho looked up to Sesshomaru, inclining his head and directing his son to sit, which he soon did. Watching, the Lord of the West was amused by just how quickly mokomoko once more wound its way around Inuyasha's body. Both he and Sesshomaru's furs acted more upon their baser instincts and it was telling just how much the soft substance yearned to touch its mate.

With Sesshomaru seated, the Lord of the West turned his attention back to Inuyasha. "Only very special swords pick their master's and Tessaiga is a very special sword."

Squirming, Inuyasha wasn't comfortable with the term of _master_ , even when it was associated with a piece of metal. "I ain't nobody's master." Whether in anger or approval, Inuyasha felt Tessaiga pulse again.

"On the contrary, my young hanyou, that is exactly what you are in Tessaiga's viewpoint."

Eyebrows lowering, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in thought before he asked the most important question, "But why?"

Closing his eyes briefly, Inu no Taisho gave a quick glance in Sesshomaru's direction before bringing in a great inhale of air. Sifting once more through the scents, the Lord of the West could just barely make out the part of Inuyasha that still strongly smelled of his sire, Tsuyoshi. "Inuyasha, I am uncertain if what I am about to tell you will come as welcome news or not. Please know, that for me, the knowledge that I am about to bestow is viewed as a most precious gift. I would also ask that you not hold Sesshomaru at fault for not telling you sooner for he did wish to do so but I convinced him that, for your own safety, it would be best to withhold what I discovered." Snorting, Inu no Taisho took another drought of sake before adding, "Given current events, that decision seems foolish indeed."

Becoming increasingly anxious, Inuyasha didn't like the thought of Sesshomaru knowing something and not telling him. They had just settled so many things, cleared the air so to speak, and the hanyou was just beginning to believe that this whole mating thing was going to turn out better than he'd ever hoped. But now it appeared like there was something else his mate had decided to keep secret under the auspices of keeping him safe. How many times did he have to prove to everyone that he could take care of his own damn self?

Irritated and never one to beat around the proverbial bush, Inuyasha pulled the sword closer to his body. "Whatever ya gotta say, just say it. The direct approach is normally the best."

Smiling sadly, Inu no Taisho shook his head. "You have no idea what a true gem you are, Inuyasha. Had it been any other who said that to me, I would have had serious doubts as to the truth of such a statement, but with you the implication is sincere."

Inuyasha still didn't understand why anyone would want to waste time like that. "-Keh, I still think you all are crazy, but right now that don't matter. What does matter is what the fuck is goin' on so are you gonna tell me or not?"

"As you wish." With one hand, Inu no Taisho lovingly caressed Tenseiga while his golden eyes stared deeply into those of his unknowing kin. "Inuyasha, it is my understanding that you are unaware as to whom your sire was, that you believe the InuYoukai that mated with your human mother abandoned the both of you. Is this correct?"

Instantly Inuyasha felt his muscles tense. "What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"

The instant anger told Inu no Taisho all he needed to in regards to Inuyasha's feelings regarding his sire. "It has everything to do with Tessaiga. It is the very reason why you and no other are capable of touching the hilt of the Sword of the Earth when it actively rejects any and all other's whom try to do the same." Pointedly looking at Tessaiga, the Lord of the West pointed a clawed finger in the sword's direction. "Tessaiga was one of three swords created by my father, each one created from a piece of his own body. Upon his death, he left two to me: Tenseiga, the Sword of Heaven, and So'unga, the Sword of Hell. But, arguably, he left the most powerful of the three, Tessaiga, the Sword of the Earth, to my younger brother, Tsuyoshi."

"I don't understand." Not only did Inuyasha not understand why Lord Inu no Taisho's father would have left his most powerful sword to his second son, but more than that, the hanyou hadn't even been aware the Lord of the West had a brother to begin with.

"At the time, neither did I and for years, I hated my brother for being able to wield that which I could not. But in time, I came to understand the reasons behind both my father's and Tessaiga's choice. Tsuyoshi was the true heir for the sword and he used it with wise discretion for it is a sword that can only be used by those whom have a true love of humanity." Laughing, Inu no Taisho thought of just how ridiculous it would seem to a pure youkai. "Creating a sword that can only be used by a youkai and yet is used for the defense of humanity. Truly, my father had a gift for irony."

Inuyasha thought he was maybe beginning to see why the sword had picked him. "So, since I'm part human, that means it likes me okay?"

"Most likely that is part of it, although I suspect it has more to do with whom sired you."

Blowing out a deep breath, Inuyasha felt his eyes narrow in anger. "Back to that? I still don't see what the jackass that knocked my mom up and then walked out has to do with a damn thing."

"Inuyasha – "

"No, Sesshomaru. I understand your mate's anger and for now, it is understandable." Swallowing down the immediate anger such comments about his younger brother instantly garnered, Inu no Taisho pushed his grumbling youkai down. "It seems that the gods are truly cruel at times," the Lord of the West said, his head bowed and sad. "Inuyasha, you must believe that I was completely unaware of your existence within this world. Had I known, I would have cared for both you and your human mother."

Since coming, Inuyasha had gotten the impression that Inu no Taisho was actually a pretty decent ruler. The Lord of the West also truly didn't seem to hold his half-breed status against him so it wasn't unreasonable to believe such a statement. And so, with a shrug of his shoulders, he answered a brief, "Okay."

But instead of easing the situation, Inuyasha tensed as he felt Inu no Taisho's youkai flare. "No, it is not _okay_. It is far from okay."

"You said you didn't know. None of us can go back in time and in the end, I figured shit out and took care of myself."

Growling low, Inu no Taisho felt the sake cup in his hand crack under the pressure of his grip. "You still do not understand, Inuyasha. To me, you are not simply an InuHanyou born of some random InuYoukai. You are kin. You are the son of my brother, Tsuyoshi. You, my dear hanyou, are cousin to Sesshomaru and nephew to me."

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt the world still so that only his own heartbeat remained. Pulsing in time to his body, Tessaiga flared again and again, the sword humming quietly by his side. It seemed unreal. Inu no Taisho knew whom his father had been and evidently Sesshomaru had found out too. But in the end, did it really matter? Inuyasha had long ago given up any hope of expecting anything from the father that had abandoned them. To him, the youkai who'd mated his mother was an almost nonexistent entity. In the hanyou's mind, he had one parent and that was all. One parent was all he needed.

Despite the earlier adrenaline rush he'd experienced while fighting for his life, Inuyasha suddenly felt cold numbness seep into his entire being, the icy chill bringing a heavy dose of exhaustion with it. Having never expected to learn just who his father was, the hanyou found the news anticlimactic. Reaching up a clawed hand, Inuyasha scratched behind an ear before sighing. "So, this Tsuyoshi is my father, that about right?"

Blinking, Inu no Taisho was baffled. He'd been expecting anger or at the very least disappointed rage from Inuyasha, not . . . apathy. Looking to his son, the Lord of the West remained silent, his eyes silently pleading with Sesshomaru to take over.

Easily reading his father's intentions, Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha into his lap. "Inuyasha, I do not believe you yet understand what this means."

"-Keh," Inuyasha huffed while wiggling his ass into a more comfortable position. "What's to understand? I know enough about youkai to know that us bein' related and mated ain't that uncommon so it doesn't really affect us. Beyond that, I don't see what it really matters. Since I haven't even heard mention of this Tsuyoshi, then I gotta think I ain't the only one he abandoned." Glancing down at the sword that had saved his life, the hanyou added, "He even ditched his sword."

Pulling his mate in closer, Sesshomaru tucked Inuyasha's head into the curve of his neck, his words whisper soft as they floated across a twitching ear. "Inuyasha, my uncle did not willingly abandon you, he was killed by the youkai Ryukotsusei and has been dead since before the time of your birth."

Within his arms, Sesshomaru felt his hanyou stiffen, Inuyasha's voice no more than a hushed, "W-what?"

Clawed fingers raking through Inuyasha's silvery-white hair, Sesshomaru looked to his father. "I believe you should explain the details."

Staring at the back of Inuyasha's head, Inu no Taisho watched puppy-dog ears swivel in his direction. It was the only sign that his nephew was listening. "There is much that I would like to tell you about my brother should you wish to learn more. For now, it is important for you to know that Tsuyoshi was incredibly strong but did not crave power as youkai are wont to do. For this, he was looked down upon. Many viewed my brother's desire for peace as weakness and his love of humanity as folly. For those and many other reasons, when Tsuyoshi was of age, he spent as little time at the palace as possible. Wandering over the lands, he was happier to be on his own. And, although I missed his presence greatly, my brother was intelligent enough to realize that his being away was not only better for himself, but me as well."

Reaching up, the Lord of the West rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers as memories of his younger brother sprang painfully to mind. "Years would turn into decades where I did not hear from Tsuyoshi and then, one day, a letter arrived. The letter was written by my brother and cryptically spoke of his impending arrival – that he had something very important that he needed to speak with me about. He did not indicate what that something was, but the tone of the letter was light and made me think it to be a joyful occurrence. But, as fate would have it, Tsuyoshi never arrived at the Western Palace. Instead, he was attacked by Ryukotsusei and killed. In my anger, I managed to seal the dragon youkai to the side of a mountain where he remains to this day."

Silent, Sesshomaru held his now quivering mate, never once complaining about the piercing pain Inuyasha's claws inflicted upon his chest. Most likely his hanyou had no idea he was currently drawing blood, but as long as it was not InuHanyou crimson seeping into his kimono, Sesshomaru saw no need to intervene.

Nose firmly pressed into the juncture of Sesshomaru's neck and shoulder, Inuyasha breathed deeply of his mate, forcing the intoxicating smell into his wracked body and soul. Intently listening, the hanyou felt lost in a sea of uncertainty. All his life, he'd believed he'd been unwanted, that his existence had been nothing short of a burden upon his human mother. Through all the cold, starving days and nights, he'd hardened his heart and cursed his sire until he'd convinced himself that his father wasn't worth the salt of his tears or the ache of his heart. But now . . . now everything had been tipped upon its head. All those years of anger, hurt and resentment . . . had he been wrong? And if so, what did that mean now?

Taking in another deep breath, Inuyasha let the comforting smell of his mate bolster him before turning his head, a single amber orb staring at the youkai who was actually his uncle. Throat dry and hoarse, Inuyasha opened his mouth several times before finally speaking, "H-how do you k-know?"

Head tilted to the side, Inu no Taisho regarded his nephew, marveling at the raw emotion pouring from that singular eye that seemed to be staring a hole straight into his soul. "How do I know that he was your sire?"

"Yah."

Fully smiling now, the Lord of the West inhaled deeply, his eyes closing while relishing the scent of his brother that seeped into the very flesh of his son's mate. "Because, my dear nephew, you carry his scent."

Eyes flaring wide, Inuyasha finally pulled his head off Sesshomaru's chest, giving the Lord of the West the full brunt of his gaze. "W-when I first came . . . when you asked Sesshomaru to move away from me so that you could scent me better . . . you suspected it then?"

Inu no Taisho nodded his head. "If you will remember, Miroku and Kitanya arrived prior and it was he that first suspected. I thought the monk's suspicions to be valid and could hardly wait for your arrival." Chuckling softly, Inu no Taisho looked to his son before shaking his head. "I thought Sesshomaru was going to gut me right then and there when I asked him to leave you."

Momentarily forgetting the gravity of their conversation, Inuyasha blushed with those same memories while Sesshomaru softly growled. But just as quickly, the gentle moment was gone and Inuyasha found himself lost in thought.

Giving the hanyou a few moments, both Inu no Taisho and Sesshomaru kept their silence and waited until finally Inuyasha asked, "S-so . . . so you think . . . I mean, you really think he was happy?"

For a moment, the Lord of the West wasn't certain what Inuyasha meant, but with soul crushing clarity he understood. "You mean to ask if Tsuyoshi was happy about your impending birth?"

Instead of answering, Inuyasha just nodded his head.

"Yes, with utmost certainty I believe I can say that. As I said earlier, my brother did not harbor the same animosity toward humanity that most youkai do. Knowing this, it is not difficult to think that he fell in love with a human woman and it is even easier to believe that he would have been overjoyed with the thought of producing a child with her. I had always wondered what would have been important enough to bring my brother home and now that mystery is understandably solved."

Frowning, Inuyasha's eyes lowered. "So, he was killed because of me then?"

"What?" both Inu no Taisho and Sesshomaru said in unison, but it was the Lord of the West that fully answered, "No. You must never think that. You more than anyone understand how violent and dangerous the world is. Tsuyoshi was one of the strongest youkai to have ever walked the earth, but that does not mean that he was invincible. In fact, I've little doubt that if Ryukotsusei had not already been weakened by his battle with my brother, I would not have been able to seal him to the mountain that now contains him."

But Inuyasha only shrugged. "Yah, but if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have been goin' through that area and – "

"Silence," Sesshomaru ordered. "You are no more at fault for my uncle's death than you are for any other creature's. You will never think like this again. Do you understand?"

Inuyasha didn't really think you could order someone to stop having a thought, but if anyone was going to try, then it would be Sesshomaru. And even though he doubted he'd never consider it like that again, the hanyou still found himself nodding his head and muttering a quite, "'Kay."

Far from convinced, Sesshomaru's mouth pulled down in disapproval. The matter was far from over and he would work as hard as needed to make his mate understand. "Inuyasha, I – "

"So," Inuyasha started, ignoring whatever Sesshomaru was about to say, "I still don't get why you didn't tell me sooner? I thought I was goin' crazy hearin' Tessaiga buzzin' in my head." Privately Inuyasha also thought back on the soothing scent contained within the rooms that he now knew to be his father's – rooms that were now utterly destroyed.

"As stated earlier, that decision has since proved foolish." Reaching for his sake cup, Inu no Taisho growled when he discovered the crack he'd made in it earlier, rendering the cup useless. Tossing it aside, the Lord of the West simply grabbed the sake bottle and brought it to his lips, downing several gulps before unceremoniously placing it back on his table. "Sesshomaru wanted to tell you right away, but I thought it safer to keep the fact that you are my late brother's son secret. You see, there were many whom disliked Tsuyoshi, many whom saw his love of peace and humanity as a threat to the very fabric of youkai society. The fact that he sired such a strong and capable hanyou son could be seen by many as proof of that dangerous way of thinking. Becoming Sesshomaru's mate placed you in enough danger, I did not think it prudent to increase the number of those whom intended you harm."

"-Keh, when are you two gonna get it through your damn skulls that I can take care of myself? Keepin' me in the dark about important shit just makes me more vulnerable, not less."

Inu no Taisho grunted while shaking his head. "Of that, I believe I am whole heartedly convinced."

"Good." Squirming, Inuyasha managed to turn around in Sesshomaru's lap, his hand raised and intent upon slapping his mate on the chest. But instead, the hanyou's hand hung limply in the air, his eyes wide as he stated, "You're bleedin'."

Sparing a brief glance down at his stained kimono, Sesshomaru dismissed his mate's concern. "The wounds are of little consequence as they have already healed."

"But, how – " voice fading, Inuyasha's eyes glanced at his own crimson claws, the scent of his mate's blood wafting off his appendages. "Shit . . . I didn't even realize. I – "

"Inuyasha, as I've already stated, the damage was minimal and is already healed. It is unimportant." Leaning in closer, Sesshomaru's voice was low and throaty. "Do I not cause similar damage to your flesh when we are intimate? Have you not also told me that such injuries are nothing to concern myself over?"

Blushing deeply, Inuyasha went ahead and let his fist fall, smacking Sesshomaru squarely on his chest. "Don't talk about that stuff in front of your dad."

Grumbling low, Sesshomaru glanced at his father over the top of his mate's twitching ears. "As you wish, my mate."

"Good. Now, get your damn paws off me and let me sit by myself for a bit."

Reluctant as he was, Sesshomaru complied but could not bring himself to remove mokomoko. At Inuyasha's questioning gaze at the furs continued presence, Sesshomaru simply stared back, his icy eyes daring his mate to make a fuss. His hanyou's disgruntled huff was his only response as Inuyasha turned his attention back to Inu no Taisho. "I ain't sure yet whether I wanna hear more about Tsuyoshi or not. I got a lot to think about."

"That is understandable. Should you wish to do so, know that I am always available. You should know that my relationship with my brother was not always amicable for I was furious when our father left Tessaiga to him. But know that, with time, I came to realize that I was the one in the wrong, and true to Tsuyoshi's nature, he was very forgiving. Never doubt that I loved and respected him more than any other and that I have missed his presence within the world." Smiling widely, the Lord of the West regarded Inuyasha with joy. "It is more comfort than you will ever know to have realized that a part of him still lives on, and if I may be so bold as to say, I believe you have inherited the very best qualities of my brother."

"I always thought anything good I got came from my mother."

Inu no Taisho nodded. "I regret that I was never able to meet her. Perhaps, in time, you would do me the honor of speaking of her so that I might know the woman whom my brother undoubtedly loved."

Opening his mouth, Inuyasha snapped it shut quickly. Izayaoi died when he was just a pup and his mother had spoken little about the one who'd sired him. When she had spoken of his youkai father, all Inuyasha could remember was that his mother had been very sad, her clear amethyst eyes growing distant and dull with memory. Knowing now what had happened to Tsuyoshi, Inuyasha wondered if his mother knew of his death or if she truly believed, as Inuyasha had, that they'd been abandoned.

Thinking about the human woman who'd loved him so dearly, Inuyasha's eyes lowered while his hands tightened into clenched fists. For so long, thoughts of Izayaoi had been both a source of searing pain mixed with loving comfort. Years after her passing he'd had to force all thoughts of his mother from his mind for fear of losing that very same mind. Stymied in grief and loss, Inuyasha found his young body devoid of the will to live and yet his inner youkai would not allow him to simply give up and die. So, perhaps, in the end of things, he really did have his father to thank for his continued survival.

Now, after all these years and learning what he had, for the first time in a very long time, Inuyasha thought he just might be able to speak of his mother in a way that did not cause his heart to ache. Perhaps, just perhaps, he might finally be able to heal some of the wounds from his childhood. But even with those thoughts, the hanyou knew it wasn't quite time yet - soon, but not now.

Coughing to clear the pain clogging his throat, Inuyasha finally nodded his head and answered, "I . . . I think I might like that. You know, sometime later. Not now, but in the future."

Feeling his body relax, Inu no Taisho gave a slight bow of his head. "When you are ready, I shall be eagerly waiting."

At his back, Inuyasha could feel the gentle sweeps of mokomoko. It seemed odd that Sesshomaru's fur was, for all practical purposes, petting him, but at the same time, it was one of the most comforting feelings he'd ever experienced.

Tired of feeling sad and disoriented, Inuyasha mentally shook his head. "Okay, now that we've gotten that straightened out, is somebody gonna tell me who exactly you think is behind the attack earlier? 'Cause I gotta say that I'm even more pissed now that I found out the fucker destroyed Tsuyoshi's rooms."

At his back, Inuyasha felt mokomoko stiffen before Sesshomaru's cold voice answered, "Miroku already informed you that is was a youkai sorcerer."

"Yeah and I still ain't sure I understand what the hell that is, but more to the point, you said you knew who it was in particular."

Sucking in a hissing breath, Sesshomaru looked away, mokomoko starting to recoil back towards his body and away from his mate.

Feeling mokomoko leaving, Inuyasha's anger erupted as his hand shot out, his claws tangling deep into the fur and holding it steady. "Don't you dare pull this shit! I get that whatever you're not tellin' me is difficult for you, but I think we've damn well established that lack of information is only gonna get my hanyou ass killed sooner rather than later. Now, I gotta say, once upon a time that thought wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much as it does now. For better or fuckin' worse, I like bein' here with you and would be pretty damn pissed if I spent all these years lookin' for a home only to find it and wind up dead before I fully got a chance to enjoy it."

"Never speak of your death so casually again." Inside his chest, Sesshomaru's youkai pulsed, his eyes fading to crimson.

"It ain't like I want to, but you're leavin' me damn little choice here."

"Inuyasha – "

"No, Sesshomaru, your mate is right. Maybe it is not necessary to tell the whole story, but he should know who we believe the culprit to be."

Turning on his father, Sesshomaru's crimson orbs glowed an even deeper, angrier shade of red. "It is not simply a belief."

But Inu no Taisho only sighed. "You and I both know that Masaru and most likely Sango are already looking for him."

"And you already know that he is long gone and deep within their territory."

Head snapping back and forth, Inuyasha was growing increasingly frustrated. "Who's where? What the fuck are you two goin' on about?" But instead of answers, the hanyou got only silence. "Listen, I know you don't wanna – "

"Sesshomaru." That simple word, backed by Inu no Taisho's youkai, was enough to grab the Prince of the West's attention and send Inuyasha's ears crashing into the depths of his hair.

Still staring straight at his father, Sesshomaru answered an emotionless, "Hakudoshi."

"Hakudoshi?" Searching his memories, Inuyasha couldn't really recall any youkai he'd ever met or heard of by that name.

"Hakudoshi is a spider youkai, or at least, that is what we believe him to be. As one of Naraku's _children_ , it is difficult to say for sure if that is truly what makes Hakudoshi up or not."

 _"Naraku_?" Inuyasha asked, "I don't know that name either."

"Of that, my hanyou, I am truly grateful." Head turned to the side; Sesshomaru's body was stone still, only his lips parting enough for speech to pass through. "I will not speak of all that foul youkai's deeds. All that is important for you to know is that he was a deceitful spider youkai whom betrayed both me and the Western Lands. For his betrayal, I sought out and utterly destroyed him but I did not do so until much damage had already been inflicted by his actions."

"Okay . . . so, this Hakudoshi is one of Naraku's kids and he's what? Seeking revenge?"

"Possibly," Inu no Taisho answered. "In all my centuries of life, I have never come across a more malicious yet intelligent mind as Naraku's was. It was not only Sesshomaru that he managed to fool, but all of us."

"You need not be so generous, father. It is well known that I was a fool."

Inuyasha thought Sesshomaru was a lot of things, but fool was hardly one of them. "W-what . . . what did he do?"

At Sesshomaru's continued silence, Inuyasha turned his attention to Inu no Taisho, the same expectant look upon his face.

Sighing deeply, Inu no Taisho suddenly looked centuries older than he truly was. "Like many youkai, Naraku desired power above all things. But the way he went about getting it was more creative than most. In truth, we were never completely sure that Naraku was only spider youkai. But regardless of his true nature, he was very strong and desired what most powerful youkai do – absolute authority over the choicest land. And in this case, the choicest of all the Lands, both then and now are the West."

Inuyasha had lived almost all his life wandering through the forest with little to no regard for whose _Lands_ he was traversing through. Since meeting Sesshomaru, he'd heard enough times that the West was much desired. But having little basis for comparison, Inuyasha could only take their word for it. "So, what did he do that was so different?"

Beside his mate, Sesshomaru's lips pulled back into a snarl. "Naraku offered a very young and foolish InuYoukai prince a way to gain even more power – false power that was not of his own making."

Of course it was plain to see that Sesshomaru was referring to himself, which seemed inconceivable to the hanyou considering how powerful he believed his mate to be. "Why would you need more power?"

"I did not," was Sesshomaru's simple and cold answer.

Sighing, Inu no Taisho decided to help his son. "Adolescence can be a difficult time for youkai and when one is under the kind of pressure and expectations that Sesshomaru was . . . well, it is understandable that he sought out whatever advantage he believed he could gain."

"Again, father, you are far too generous." Turning to fully look at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's golden eyes were cold with his own remembered failings. "At that time, my true weakness was not believing in my own abilities. I saw the power that both my father and mother could so effortlessly wield and thought myself inferior. I wanted what they had but had earned none of it. It was this weakness that Naraku preyed upon. He promised me a way to become even stronger than my father, the Lord of the West, but I would soon learn that such came at far too high a price."

"W-what price?"

Looking to his father, Sesshomaru's face once more melted into the icy mask he portrayed so well as he coldly answered, "The death of my sire."

Eyes going wide, Inuyasha looked from Inu no Taisho to Sesshomaru. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"As Miroku said, youkai sorcerer's manipulate nature, twist it into something gruesome and evil. In order to increase my own power, Naraku had to steal it from somewhere. As my strength grew, the Lord of the West's health faded. By the time I became aware of what price had been paid for my abilities, my father was near to fading."

Inuyasha sucked in a deep breath. In his heart he wanted to do nothing more than wrap his arms around Sesshomaru and give whatever comfort he could for the pain lacing his mate's voice was clearly audible. Perhaps later, when they were in the privacy of their own rooms, Inuyasha would do just that, but for now, all he did was stroke his hand through mokomoko's soft fur. "But you learned the truth."

"Yes."

"And when you did, you put an end to it."

Already tightly wound, the increased tension in Sesshomaru's body was almost imperceptible.

"Sesshomaru? When you found out, you stopped it. Right?"

"I am ashamed to say that for a moment, I did consider not acting."

Swallowing, Inuyasha wasn't exactly sure what to say. Thankfully, Inu no Taisho was the one to speak. "As I have told Sesshomaru many times, his reaction to learning the truth was nothing to be ashamed of nor should he feel guilty. We are youkai. It is in our nature to wish to be the strongest, the most powerful that we can be and to destroy all that challenge us. When in adolescence, it seems that all the world is challenging you. At that age and drunk with power, it is a testament to Sesshomaru's true nature that he did decide to act. I should have thought less of him had he not considered all his options."

Face paling, Inuyasha didn't think he'd ever really understand that line of thinking and wondered if Tsuyoshi had lived if such a thing would seem more natural. If that was the case, then maybe it was best that he hadn't been raised in the same way Sesshomaru had.

Smiling at his hanyou nephew's silence, Inu no Taisho could easily see the horror in Inuyasha's expressive eyes. "I realize that may be difficult for you to understand, but know that I hold no animosity towards my son." Smile turning into something decidedly more wicked, the Lord of the West lifted his shoulders, his chest puffing out with pride. "You should have seen Sesshomaru when he did decide to act. It was a thing of beauty, watching him destroy Naraku. In that moment, borrowed power or no, I saw what lay ahead for my son – how intoxicatingly strong he would one day be, how invincible Sesshomaru was destined to become. He had only to be patient and wait for his body and youkai to mature."

Looking up to his mate, Inuyasha felt a fine shiver of fear race down his spine.

Mind lost in remembrance, Sesshomaru didn't realize his stripes had deepened and elongated along with his fangs. "Naraku thought he could control this Sesshomaru, that he could use me as his puppet, but he soon found out that this Sesshomaru is not controlled so easily. When I was finished, there was hardly enough to gather to collect and burn."

Mouth dry, Inuyasha heard Inu no Taisho laugh before putting the bottle of sake to his lips again. "Yes, that day Naraku learned what true power was. Pity he could not put that lesson to good use." Then shrugging his shoulders, the Lord of the West added, "Not so much a pity, really."

Wanting to get off the topic of how Naraku met his end, Inuyasha asked, "And afterward? Once Naraku was dead, what happened then?"

"Both my father and I became what we once were. The powers I had unknowingly stolen returned to the true Lord of the West and father's health soon recovered. As for me, my levels dropped back to what they should have been, what I had rightfully earned. As I age and gain experience, my abilities grow, just as if should be."

"So, are you to the same level again yet?"

"No."

Eyes going wide, Inuyasha sat in awe of the fact that Sesshomaru was still gaining in power.

Seeing that surprise, Sesshomaru's head tilted to the side. "All youkai continue to gain in power as they age, Inuyasha. While it is true that at a certain point, this process slows dramatically, it shall be at least several more centuries before my own process begins to dwindle. You may be hanyou, but it should be similar for you."

Nodding, Inuyasha's eyes drifted to the side. Power had never really been much of a goal of his beyond being strong enough to survive and defend himself. Never having expected to live all that long, he'd never truly given it much thought. But now . . . "That's why you don't want me gettin' knocked up yet, you're waitin' for me to get older and stronger."

Reaching up, Sesshomaru allowed his clawed fingers to sift through Inuyasha's hair, the tips of his claws ghosting up a twitching ear. "You are currently far too young to safely carry our pup. In time, your power will grow and such a pregnancy will not carry the same risks. There is time enough to wait and no need to rush."

When he'd first learned that Sesshomaru didn't want him getting pregnant right away, Inuyasha had been confused and worried his mate thought him too weak to bare a healthy, strong pup. And in a way, that was true. But what Inuyasha now understood was that Sesshomaru truly worried about his health and that his mate also believed that in time, the hanyou would be strong enough to not only deliver a pup, but also come through the process in one piece. Cheeks dusted a light pink, Inuyasha ducked his head, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes as he whispered a, "'Kay, I think I get it."

"I am pleased you understand and will continue drinking the inhibiting tea Norim makes for you."

"It ain't so bad," Inuyasha shrugged. "Norim has a way of somehow makin' that stuff taste good. I'll bet old lady Kaede would love to know what he does to make it not taste like ass. I've had enough of her herbal remedies to know that the villagers would most likely appreciate it too."

Sesshomaru could have cared less about the worthless villagers Inuyasha spoke of, but he was pleased to hear his mate discussing the human miko who'd cared for him. Perhaps in the future he could bring the old woman to the palace for a short visit. Although it would most likely depend on the fragile human's health. "You should ask Norim if it is something that human's can tolerate and if so, if it is a simple enough additive that you could convey it in one of your letters."

Instantly, Inuyasha perked up. "You don't think he'd mind? I mean, it ain't like some kind of trade secret or somethin'?"

"With Norim, that seems doubtful."

"Yeah, okay then, maybe I'll ask him about it next time I see him." Thinking of Norim brought recent events back into Inuyasha's mind and a frown to his face. "Norim seemed pretty anxious to get away from the carcass of that thing that attacked me."

Setting his sake bottle back down, Inu no Taisho agreed. "Norim is a healer and uses nature's gifts to aid those in need. Youkai sorcery is an affront to all that he believes in; to corrupt nature in such ways is perhaps even more abhorrent to him than it is to Miroku."

Whether he should or not, instantly Inuyasha felt bad that Norim had had to do something like that because of him. "Well, at least now they know that shit ain't gonna work. I don't know if it was this Hakudoshi youkai or not, but whoever it was didn't really expect me to live through it. Now that they know I ain't as weak as they thought then maybe that'll stop 'em from tryin' that shit again."

Inuyasha had been expecting agreement, but his statement was met with silence while Sesshomaru and Inu no Taisho shared a look he couldn't interpret. "It's good. Right?"

"I wish it were that simple, my nephew. It will not be long before news of this incident spreads. Hearing such an attack has failed will certainly detour those of lesser convictions, however, it shall most likely spur others to come up with even more creative and deceptive attacks." Eyes drifting down toward Tessaiga, Inu no Taisho shook his head. "The fact that you can wield Tessaiga will also soon be widely known. It will not take long for many to figure out whom exactly your sire was and when that happens, I fear your enemies shall only increase. Perhaps we should simply make an announcement regarding your true lineage. At least then we could take away the element of doubt."

Even with that knowledge, Inuyasha couldn't regret coming into contact with the sword. Not only had it saved his life, but it was, quite literally, a part of who he'd come from. Still, he'd lived all his life not only without a father, but damning the one who'd sired him. The hanyou wasn't ready to start fielding questions regarding a being he'd held such animosity toward for so long. "I . . . if it's okay with you, I'd like to hold off on doin' somethin' like that, at least for now." Quickly looking up, Inuyasha was uncertain. "I'm not sayin' I'm ashamed or nothin' . . . just, it's all kinda new. I need some time to figure it out first."

The soft look on Inu no Taisho's face eased some of Inuyasha's anxiety. "That is understandable. Just know that it will not take long for many youkai to begin wondering and only slightly more time for them to begin openly questioning. I would give you as much space and time as you required if it were only up to me."

"I get it. Let's just kinda play it by ear for now."

"If that is your wish."

Simply nodding, now that the adrenaline had fully dissipated, Inuyasha found his body aching with his previous wounds. True to his word, his injuries were hardly life threatening – not even a broken bone. Still, he had deep bruising from being thrown through one too many walls. Shifting slightly, the hanyou forced a grimace from his mouth as he jarred a particularly sore spot.

Eyes ever attentive to his mate, Sesshomaru saw the nearly imperceptible pain that flashed through his hanyou's eyes. Although he dearly craved to stay and wait for Masaru's arrival, the InuYoukai was even more eager to take care of Inuyasha.

Knowing Inuyasha would not be appreciative if he pointed out his hanyou's pain, Sesshomaru merely looked to his father and stated, "If that is all for now, Inuyasha and I shall retire to our rooms. I will meet with you later to discuss Masaru and Sango's findings."

Far from ignorant, Inu no Taisho knew the true reasons behind his son's decision and smiled with approval. "As you like. If it is agreeable, I will send Jaken to inform you when I have news to report."

With mokomoko still firmly wrapped around Inuyasha's waist, Sesshomaru stood, pulling his mate with him. Ignoring his hanyou's protests at having been picked up, Sesshomaru bowed respectfully to his father. "Instruct Jaken not to enter unless explicitly given permission to do so."

The Lord of the West thought that probably went without saying, but sometimes Jaken got a little eager when it came to Sesshomaru and given how protective his son was feeling toward his mate, should the little kappa decided to barge right in, it might be Jaken's final action in this world.

Inu no Taisho gave a hearty chuckle as he also stood. "I will be sure to let him know." Mirth softening into something much gentler, the Lord of the West moved from behind his desk, his eyes firmly fixed upon the still squirming and complaining hanyou. "Inuyasha."

Hearing his name, the hanyou stopped his actions and turned his head, his puppydog ears perked forward and at full attention.

Making sure to keep a safe distance, Inu no Taisho stopped a few feet away from his nephew. "It can not be said enough times how happy it makes me to have you here and to know that a part of my brother lives on through you. You have brought the Lord of the West great joy and pride." Smirking at the blush now covering the hanyou's face, Inu no Taisho's eyes traveled down to the deceptively rusty sword still grasped within Inuyasha's hand. "Tessaiga has chosen well, just as it always has. Know that it will always seek to protect you. Trust in Tessaiga and never let it leave your side."

Hand tightening down upon the hilt, Inuyasha felt his claw's dig into his own skin. "I . . . uh, I guess . . . thanks?"

Smile broadening, Inu no Taisho chuckled once more. "Always so beautifully honest. Indeed, you are a treasure."

Picking up his _treasure_ , Sesshomaru gave a final nod of his head to his father before carrying his angered and protesting mate out the door, his feet steadfastly heading for the privacy of their own rooms.

::::::::::

"Inuyasha, is everything all right? I heard there was a fire at one of the barracks and then the palace shook and – "

"Kitanya."

No matter how long she lived with the Heir of the Western Lands, Kitanya thought the desolate sound of her name coming from those poisonous lips would always send a shiver down her spine. "Yes, Prince Sesshomaru?"

"Leave."

Brown eyes momentarily blown wide, Kitanya quickly looked to Inuyasha's shocked face. As quickly as she could, the bear submissive inventoried Inuyasha for any sign of distress but found the hanyou more angered than injured. Content that Inuyasha was fine, Kitanya bowed once before turning and heading for the door. Behind her, she could hear the hanyou's enraged bellows as he berated Sesshomaru once more for being, _"An ice-cold prick."_ Scurrying away, Kitanya took off toward the one place she hoped she'd find answers, Norim and Masaru's rooms.

Finally wiggling loose of mokomoko's hold, Inuyasha had no illusions regarding the fact that the fur had willingly let him go. "God's damn it, Sesshomaru! She was just worried and – _umph._ "

Panting and gasping for air, Inuyasha stepped away when Sesshomaru finally released him from the brutal kiss he'd just received. "W-what – " but whatever the hanyou was going to say next stuck in his throat. Sesshomaru, his mate, was removing his own clothing – stripping down with methodical determination.

Having successfully captured his mate's attention, Sesshomaru's golden orbs burned into Inuyasha as he ordered, "Remove your clothing."

Mouth dry and brain struggling to keep up, Inuyasha simply stared.

Now completely naked, Sesshomaru strode forward, his slender fingers wrapping around Inuyasha's chin and lifting the hanyou's face. "Inuyasha, I am going to take you. Normally I would not hesitate to do so even with you mostly clothed, but you are injured and I wish to see the extent of such injuries before we rut."

Heart hammering within his chest, Inuyasha felt his eyes close. All around him, surrounding his senses, drenching his very soul, was Sesshomaru's scent. Dear god's above, nothing in the world smelled as good as the bastard did, especially when Sesshomaru's lust was peaked. Whispering a quiet, "Fuck," all Inuyasha could do was stand there, breathing in that intoxicating scent like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

"An appropriate statement, my mate. But not until I am satisfied as to your health." Releasing Inuyasha's face, Sesshomaru stood back slightly, more than pleased by the blissful desire he'd left behind.

Blinking away the lust-filled fog that seemed to be swirling around him, Inuyasha walked to a nearby table, laying Tessaiga down upon it as his shaking hands began undoing the ties to his nearly destroyed clothing. Grumbling a, "Demanding asshole," the hanyou made quick work of what remained of his kimono and underclothes. Finally as naked as his mate, Inuyasha turned and waspishly asked, "Happy now?"

But the crimson leaking back into Sesshomaru's eyes indicated that he was far from happy. Before him, his mate stood, his skin a mottled patchwork of purple, blue and green. That monstrosity had gotten far too close to its goal and the Prince of the West wished nothing more than to resurrect the creature so that he could be the one to dismember it – slowly.

But that disgrace against nature was not the true culprit. In fact, the youkai that went into its creation were just as much victims, if not more so, than Inuyasha. Only when they captured its creator would he be pleased. Well, Sesshomaru supposed he wouldn't truly feel content until he'd been allowed to dissolve the skin from Hakudoshi's body while the spider youkai screamed in agony.

With thoughts of Hakudoshi's death placating his youkai, Sesshomaru once more moved forward, reaching out his hand and lightly skimming the back edge of his claws along a particularly deep patch of bruising. Below his fingers, Inuyasha's skin shivered with desire. Breathing in deeply, Sesshomaru let the scent of his very much alive mate comfort him. But he knew that today, at this moment, just scenting his hanyou wasn't enough. "Inuyasha."

Shivering, Inuyasha's eyes drifted shut. His name had been spoken as little more than a growl and he knew Sesshomaru was losing control, that his mate's need was being pushed to the edge. And yet, Sesshomaru was holding back. Eyelids fluttering open, Inuyasha's amber orbs were but mere slits, the barest hint of red leaking into their edges. "Stop stallin' and take what you need. I can take it. I want to take it."

At those words, Sesshomaru took in a hissing breath of air, his fangs elongating further as the magenta stripes slashing across his skin deepened in color. Inside, his youkai was crawling at his skin. They had come far too close to losing their mate today, a mate that they needed more than food, water or air. Their most precious possession was almost taken from them and the need to re-mark, to cover their mate in Sesshomaru's scent – both inside and out – was overwhelming. "I can not be gentle."

Pushing his body into Sesshomaru's, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around the InuYoukai's waist. Splashed across Sesshomaru's chest were the remnants of dried blood crusted over the healed areas of skin that the hanyou had wounded earlier in Inu no Taisho's office. Tongue darting out, Inuyasha licked at the crusted crimson, all the while keeping his eyes turned up, locked on the burning red orbs of his mate. Between laps, Inuyasha's husky voice answered, "Who's askin' ya to?"

A low, need-filled growl filled the room as Sesshomaru's youkai flared. Within a fraction of a second, the Inuyoukai was buried deep in Inuyasha's body. There was no kindness or affection in the act, simply a deep and undeniable need to release into his hanyou's body as soon as possible, to have their mate drenched in their scent, to mark Inuyasha as theirs and to remind everyone what it meant to actively seek to harm their hanyou.

Knees scraping against the hard, wooden floor, the forceful pounding his ass was getting made it difficult for Inuyasha to hold his body up and soon he found his cheek scraping along the same harsh wood. But for all the brutality of it, the hanyou keened and whined with the type of abandon that only comes when one knows how truly needed they are. Inuyasha wasn't sure if what youkai felt was the same as the human emotion, love, but he now had no doubts that whatever it was that pure youkai felt, Sesshomaru felt that way about him. He was more than an outlet for the InuYoukai's biological needs.

Being half youkai himself, Inuyasha found his own pleasure in being roughly rutted. For most of his life, the hanyou fought down the more violent aspects of his youkai's nature. True, he relied on his youkai's survival instincts and its abilities to take more damage than he'd ever be able to as a human, but when he became desperate, when his youkai felt like their life was truly threatened, that was when he found the beast within him truly frightening. Afraid he would not be able to control it if let loose, Inuyasha had always kept a tight reign upon his more feral half. But now, as Sesshomaru's cock pounded into him, as he felt his mate's heavy, fur covered balls slapping against his ass . . . times like these were some of the rare moments when he actually felt as if his youkai was happy. All the times he'd denied that half of his being what it truly desired . . . when Sesshomaru took him like this, there was no denying anything. Inside his soul, Inuyasha felt his youkai writhe in ecstasy. For these short, blissful moments, he could allow his youkai more freedom and gods above, did that feel good.

Grunting and growling, Sesshomaru was focused on one thing and one thing only: marking his mate. Balls tight and heavy, the InuYoukai felt his release approach and soon enough, his hot, creamy cum was filling Inuyasha's channel. Pushing in deep, Sesshomaru leaned over and bit down on the claiming mark on the side of his mate's neck.

Feeling that hot rush of warmth filling him, Inuyasha's own heavy balls tightened, releasing when the sharp sting of Sesshomaru's fangs drove deep into his flesh. Falling completely to the floor, the hanyou felt his own, sticky release squish against the harsh flooring below him. Panting heavily, Inuyasha was still blissfully sated and barely registered when Sesshomaru picked his limp body off the floor, depositing him on the soft furs of their bed. Head lolled back, Inuyasha gasped when he felt the throbbing cock of his mate re-enter his body. "S-ses-shomaru . . . "

Leaning down, Sesshomaru licked the blood still leaking from the mark on Inuyasha's neck. "We are far from done, my hanyou."

Now on his back, Inuyasha wrapped his legs around Sesshomaru's waist, a genuine smile lifting the corners of his mouth as he answered, "Then you better get busy."

In response, Sesshomaru gave a shallow thrust of his hips, earning a delicious moan for his efforts. Nipping at a lax puppydog ear, the InuYoukai whispered, "Be careful what you ask for," before pulling out and thrusting back in, his actions long and languid before building in tempo again.

Back arched, Inuyasha clung to Sesshomaru, all the while enjoying as his mate licked and sucked at his skin. While the first time had been harsh and desperate, their following ruts were filled with intimate touches. Never in his life had Inuyasha ever dreamed he'd feel safe enough with another, let alone a youkai as powerful as Sesshomaru, to allow such vulnerable parts of his body and soul to be exposed. And yet, lying there with his mate's thick cock buried deep within his body, the hanyou felt no fear, no remorse, and no worry. Safe and cared for, Inuyasha basked in the attention so willingly and eagerly bestowed upon the whole of his being.

 _Happy ending to this chapter, not a cliffy :-) So . . . Hakudoshi . . . he was one of Naraku's many creepy incarnations so I chose him for the bad guy in this. For those of you still wondering, Naraku is well and truly dead and won't be making any resurrection-like comebacks. I hope you enjoyed my take on Naraku's particular betrayal and why Sesshomaru hates him so much._

 _As I said earlier, next update will be in 1 week. As always, thanks to all of you whom review. Some of you review every chapter and some only now and again but I appreciate all of them and the time you take to do it._

 _For those of you reading the Chaos story, update on Tuesday should be a bit earlier as once again, I have work related stuff to do that evening :-( Until next time, I hope you all have a safe and happy week._

 _lunamist_


	23. Chapter 23

_Happy Sunday everyone. I'm glad most of you enjoyed Inuyasha finding out about his real father. I think most of you are also on board with Hakudoshi being the current villain in this fic. I always thought he was a creepy little fucker on the anime. Looked like a little kid but was anything but. Had someone ask about the council of elders. They do disappear a bit from the story, but just so you know, Hakudoshi was a member of the council._

 _This chapter is pretty short and I'm sorry about that, but it didn't combo well with the next one (which will be twice as long). When you read the next one, then I think you'll understand. This chapter also discusses a fairly important piece of information that will be useful later on._

 _Thanks again to everyone that reviewed and continues to review :-)_

 _Chapter 23 . . ._

"He is nowhere to be found." Bowing from the waist hadn't seemed enough attrition to Masaru and so instead, he was now on his knees, head bent and palms of his hands resting upon the wooden slats of Inu no Taisho's office. Far from alone, Lady Sango had taken a similar position, Kirara rolled over, her belly on full display in her own show of submission. All of them had been handily duped. The explosions and resulting fire ripping through the Northern Barracks had been nothing but a grand and dangerous distraction. And, much to their shame, it had worked far too well.

Grunting, the Lord of the West turned from where he'd been staring out one of the large windows ringing his private office. "For the love of the gods, all of you get up off the floor. I've no use for such placations from the likes of you."

Standing, Masaru and Sango shared a look as Kirara jumped up into her arms to perch once more on the hunter youkai's shoulder. "Lord Inu no Taisho," Sango started, "please be assured that we shall not rest until Hakudoshi is found, I – "

"That would be a waste of good sleeping time. Trust me when I say that we won't be finding Hakudoshi that easily." Frowning, Inu no Taisho sighed deeply while rubbing his temples. "Hakudoshi may have underestimated Inuyasha's abilities, but he has always excelled at self-preservation. No doubt he is already deep within the spider's web of caves. And that, my friends, is a place I will not send any of you."

Shoulder's stiffening with perceived slight, Masaru's jaw pulled tight. "I have no fear of those wretched creatures. If you wish it, I will not hesitate to – "

"No. Masaru you misunderstand my meaning. It is not that I doubt your loyalty or strength, but to go into that maze of caves with no known destination is a death sentence to any youkai." Gaze distantly traveling to the outside world once more, Inu no Taisho was lost in memory. "You have not witnessed the deathtrap that are the Caves of WenKai. In my foolish youth, I sought out an enemy there. It is the closest to death I have ever come and had it not been for the negotiations of my father, then I would have passed to the next realm at a very young age. There are things below that wretched land that none should ever be made to witness."

Gripping Kirara tight within her arms, Sango's eyes narrowed in thought. "Then what are we to do?"

"The only thing we can, wait."

 _"Wait?"_ both Masaru and Sango questioned in unison.

"Wait. Hakudoshi will be infuriated that his plan failed. It will not be long before he tries something again."

"But, my Lord, that is exactly why we need to find him, before he can make another attempt."

"Masaru, if we could anticipate and eliminate every threat before they acted, then it would indeed make for a much safer life. That, however, is impossible. When Hakudoshi is finally eliminated, another will take his place. All rulers and their heirs are under constant threat. It is part of the reason why it was so important to make sure Sesshomaru was as strong as he possibly could be. Some would argue that in making him the perfect killer that he is, that his soul was lost." Smile lifting his lips, Inu no Taisho thought of Inuyasha and didn't even try and fight the joy his nephew brought. "But, I believe Inuyasha's presence has proven that to be incorrect."

Fidgeting, Sango spared another quick glance at Masaru before asking, "But, doesn't Prince Sesshomaru's mating make him even more vulnerable? I mean no disrespect, but Inuyasha is now Sesshomaru's weakness. Destroying Inuyasha would lead to the destruction of the prince as well."

"And that, Lady Sango, is where all will make their mistake. I had not thought it possible, but I believe our lovely InuHanyou is tougher to kill than my very own son. Inuyasha has a tenacity born out of necessity. That boy does not give up or give in. And when they fail . . . Sesshomaru's wrath will be unforgiving."

"Speaking of that, how do you plan on keeping Prince Sesshomaru from charging into spider owned lands and attempting to find Hakudoshi himself?" Shaking his head, Masaru simply couldn't see the Heir of the Western Lands taking his father's orders well. Not about this.

"I will see to my son," Inu no Taisho sighed. "Now, Masaru, I leave the clean up and reconstruction of the Northern Barracks in your hands." Turning his head slightly, the Lord of the West added, "Lady Sango, have you spoken to Miroku?"

"No," Sango shook her head. "He sent a messenger that he needed my help with something but Kirara and I were too busy searching for Hakudoshi."

Inu no Taisho couldn't help but snicker. No doubt the monk wound up cleaning the creature's remains all by himself. Knowing how much Miroku hated physical labor of any kind; the monk was probably awash in irritation by now. "Do not let it concern you. The monk's duties did not necessarily involve you. However, I do need to speak with him before the night is through."

"I will go and find him now," Sango bowed.

"Thank you. You are dismissed."

With a final bow, Sango turned, Kirara on her shoulder as she walked out the sliding door, leaving Masaru alone with the Lord of the West.

"Masaru, if the situation in the Northern Barracks is under control, I believe your mate could benefit from your presence. I am afraid events of earlier have disturbed Norim far more than even he is willing to admit."

Eyes momentarily tinting red, Masaru felt his youkai stir with anger. Indeed, when he'd seen Norim earlier and heard what had happened, he'd felt the deep unease disturbing his mate. Norim's well of strength was admirable and it took a great disturbance to shake him. Youkai sorcery and its consequence's hit at the heart of what Norim believed in and seeing the destruction such sorcery had inflicted not only upon the palace and Inuyasha, but also the poor youkai who'd been sacrificed to create such an abomination tore at the very fabric of Norim's soul. He'd hated the fact that he'd needed to leave his obviously disturbed mate, but there had been little choice in the matter. As soon as he'd heard what had happened and that youkai sorcery was the reason behind it, he'd had only one mission – find Hakudoshi. Unfortunately, it had been a mission both he and Sango had failed to accomplish.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"There is no need to thank me, Masaru. Both you and Norim are irreplaceable in my eyes. It does me little good to have either of you mentally or physically less than what you are. Although I value you both, my motives are not nearly so altruistic as you might believe."

With one edge of his lips curling up, Masaru gave the Lord of the West a lopsided smirk. "I would not serve with such loyalty if I thought otherwise, my Lord."

"Then that is fortunate for both of us. Now, go and comfort your mate."

Following Sango's lead, Masaru bowed deeply before leaving, his feet steadfastly leading him down a litany of known corridors as he made his way to he and Norim's private quarters.

Now alone, Inu no Taisho reached up, rubbing his forehead. He'd had too much sake and was now paying the price in the form of a burgeoning headache. Had he been thinking clearly, he would have asked Masaru to return with one of Norim's little herbal pouches. With the healer's aid, the headache would be gone before it was allowed to take hold completely.

Turning to sit back down at his desk, Inu no Taisho was surprised when he felt Miroku's presence right outside his door. Before the monk could ask for admittance, the Lord of the West ordered a clipped, "Enter."

Eyes momentarily going wide, Inu no Taisho barely stifled a laugh at the disarray the monk's robes were in. "It is fortunate for you that the carcass carried no scent, otherwise you would no doubt reek of such a stench."

Letting out a deep breath, Miroku looked down at his soiled robes and sighed, his staff lowering slightly and the musical tinkling of its rings filling Inu no Taisho's office with sound. "Unfortunately, Lady Sango was otherwise occupied and it was necessary for me to dispose of the creature's remains by myself."

Becoming more serious, the Lord of the West asked, "I assume the creature has been purified and put to rest?"

"Indeed. We need not concern ourselves with the remains again."

"Good," the Lord of the West grunted while gesturing Miroku to move further into his office.

Shuffling in, Miroku's brow wrinkled with disgust at the stiffness of his robes, the cloth covered in drying fluid from the creature's remains. "My Lord, while it is my pleasure to serve, I'm sure you understand that I am eager to clean – "

"Miroku, be silent. You will have ample opportunity to clean soon enough."

Properly reprimanded, Miroku straightened while waiting for Inu no Taisho to begin. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long.

"I will make this brief. Masaru and Sango were not able to locate Hakudoshi. I've little doubt where he's fled to and I refuse to send any, especially my son, into the certain death those caves present."

Swallowing, Miroku nodded. "You believe Hakudoshi to have taken refuge within the Caves of WenKai?"

"He would be a fool not to have done so."

"Is Prince Sesshomaru aware of this?"

"No. Not yet."

Gripping his staff a little tighter, Miroku thought he was fairly certain he didn't want to be anywhere within the palace when the Lord of the West informed his blood-thirsty son that he was not _allowed_ to seek out the one who'd been responsible for trying to kill Inuyasha. "I hope, my Lord, that it is not I that you wish to tell the prince of such matters."

"No," Inu no Taisho grunted, his lips turning up into an almost feral smile, "Although the idea has some appeal."

"My Lord, I – "

"Don't worry, Miroku. I need you very much alive for the plan I have in mind. Asking you to inform Sesshomaru that he has to wait to slaughter Hakudoshi would put your life in far too much jeopardy for my needs."

Although he was happy to hear that his life was safe, for at least the time being, Miroku was hesitant about the reasons why. "How may I be of service?" No sooner had those words been spoken than Miroku noticed the change in Inu no Taisho's gaze, the InuDaiYoukai no longer looking him in the eyes, but his sightline pinned upon the holy beads containing his Wind Tunnel.

Gaze shifting back to Miroku's eyes, the Lord of the West could tell by the tenseness he found there that the monk was nervous. "I understand your reluctance to travel between worlds using the Wind Tunnel safely contained within your palm, but if I had need of it, would you comply?"

Swallowing the dry lump of saliva stuck in his throat, Miroku's hand fisted tight, the beads protecting his life cutting reassuringly into his flesh as he answered, "As always, I am at the service of the Lord of the West."

"Good. Know that I do not ask this lightly of you, but as we both know, Sesshomaru will not stand for Hakudoshi to live. At the same time, entering the Caves of WenKai with no way of exit is nothing less than suicide. I will not loose my son and consequently my nephew to such foolishness."

Miroku could well understand that line of thinking, what he couldn't understand was exactly how the Lord of the West thought he could help. "My Lord, it is true that I can transport others with me. Getting out wouldn't be a problem, but I am still uncertain how you plan on us finding Hakudoshi within that maze of tunnels."

A rare, cruel smile made its way across Inu no Taisho's lips. "As eager as my son is to kill Hakudoshi, I've no doubt that spider youkai is just as eager to finish what he has started. Hakudoshi's failure will not sit well with the proud spider. It is only a matter of time before he tries something else. Hakudoshi may be intelligent, but like Naraku, he is a coward at heart. He will use his sorcery again in his attack, but for sorcery to work – "

"The one casting the spell must be connected to the object of the casting," Miroku interrupted, his eyes wide with what he thought was comprehension.

"Exactly. If we find his pawn, could you trace the connection spell back to its castor?"

Head bent, Miroku placed the tips of his fingers to his lips in thought before looking back up. "I have never attempted to do so, but I believe it would be possible, as long as the object is still _alive_ and connected to Hakudoshi. When Inuyasha killed the beast that attacked him, the connection with its master was lost, but if the creature is still functioning . . . it just might be possible."

"And if it is?"

"Then I could follow the connection through the different dimensions. As long as Prince Sesshomaru's skin is touching my own, it would be nothing to take him with me."

Inu no Taisho's grin turned even more wicked. "The bastard will lead us right to himself. Hakudoshi's next actions will all but guarantee his death."

Miroku thought it was actually a fairly good plan, even if he did detest traveling through the different dimensions. Of course, what they were all gambling on was that whatever atrocity Hakudoshi sent Inuyasha's way would not prove fatal. It was a rather large gamble in Miroku's opinion. Head bowed, Miroku simply answered, "As always, I am at the West's disposal."

Face a careful blank, the monk's choice of words were not lost upon Inu no Taisho for he knew well that it was not exactly him that Miroku served, but more the land itself – the land where the human monks had found him as an infant and in so doing, given Miroku a life beyond unpredictable dimensional shifting. Although the current Lord had little doubt Miroku would do as told, he was also well aware that it was only the fact that Inu no Taisho had maintained the peace and prosperity of the Western Lands, and thus the place Miroku's monk's called home, that kept the dimensional youkai within his service.

"Very well. Most likely it will take Hakudoshi some time to regroup and come up with some type of new plan. We will simply have to remain vigilant."

Reaching back to scratch the back of his head, Miroku let loose a wide yawn. "If only it were solely Hakudoshi that we needed to be concerned with."

Inu no Taisho grunted his agreement. "There will always be enemies."

"Indeed, that seems to be the case no matter what dimension one calls home."

Eyebrows shifting up, the Lord of the West was surprised by Miroku's statement, not because of its content, but more due to the fact that the monk rarely if ever spoke of his inherent abilities and the places it allowed him to go. Carefully scrutinizing Miroku, it was clear to see the monk was momentarily lost within his own thoughts and Inu no Taisho had to wonder what demons haunted the seemingly vivacious youkai standing before him. But just as quickly as the look was there, it vanished into one of Miroku's infamous smiles.

Shaking off the images he'd thought he buried long ago, Miroku forced his mind back to the here and now, his lips curving up into a bright smile. "Is there anything else you wish of me, my Lord?"

"Only that you either burn or thoroughly cleanse the robes you are currently in. I do not wish to see even a hint of that abomination ever again."

"Ah . . . well, I believe that is an order that I can happily comply with."

"Good. Now go. You are relieved of any further duties for the evening."

Bowing low, Miroku turned, his face a sour grimace at the ever-stiffening fabric draped around his body. He'd always found his robes both a comfort as well as comfortable, but now they were little more than a reminder of the filth he'd had to dispose of. "Thank you, Lord Inu no Taisho. I wish you a less eventful evening than the day has turned out to be."

And with nothing else to say, Miroku turned, leaving the Lord of the West alone with nothing but the aching of his head and the knowledge that he would soon have to tell his son that he would not be allowed the immediate revenge Sesshomaru so craved.

::::::::::

Sesshomaru was furious. Behind him lay a swath of destroyed forest, shattered hillsides and poisoned earth. To be certain, it would be decades, if not centuries before the land recovered enough to support life once more. Even so, he considered it a win that it was only the local foliage that had been decimated and not the palace itself.

Anger having been spent, the Prince of the Western Lands stood, all four paws of his true InuYoukai form digging deep rivets into the stone below his heavy feet. Crimson eyes staring across the valley below, Sesshomaru's large canines clamped down hard, his lips curling back into a final snarl of rage as he let loose a soul shattering howl into the wind. Panting and worn, Sesshomaru lowered his mighty head before shimmering and changing back into his more humanoid form.

Even with a semblance of his control reclaimed, Sesshomaru knew it was still too soon to return to the palace – to his mate. Earlier that day he'd been called to his father's study and learned of Inu no Taisho's plans, including the part where he – Prince Sesshomaru – was _forbidden_ from seeking out Hakudoshi and slaughtering the spider youkai. In that moment, it had taken every ounce of control the powerful InuYoukai had not to erupt and destroy everything within his path. Had Sesshomaru been but a few decades younger, most likely he would not have been able to contain his rage.

As it was, he'd left, not a word of answer given to his father's demands. Sesshomaru had bolted and released his fury upon the earth. And now that some of the anguish was spent, the Heir of the Western Lands could think. Going over his father's words, Sesshomaru could see the wisdom in them, even if he hated the thought of Hakudoshi living another second let alone the potential years it might be before the damned spider became foolish enough to allow them a chance to get him.

Eyes slowly regaining their stunning golden hue, Sesshomaru remained where he was with only the wind creating movement within his clothes and hair. Most likely Inuyasha was wondering where he'd gone, but given his current level of anger, Sesshomaru was not certain it was safe to be around his mate. Neither he nor his youkai would ever intentionally hurt Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru had lived long enough to know that not every pain inflicted upon the mind or flesh was intentional.

And so Sesshomaru stayed where he was, golden eyes awash in the brilliant oranges and reds of the setting sun. Only when dusk had fallen and the barest hint of stars began littering the sky did the Prince of the West finally turn from his area of contemplation. Pulling his ki cloud below him, Sesshomaru rose in the air, never once looking down to survey the damage he had done. To his mind, the destruction he'd cause was inconsequential. He was Sesshomaru, Heir of the Western Lands and dominant mate to his uncle's one and only son, the hanyou, Inuyasha. To the InuYoukai, that was all that mattered and it was visions of his beautifully perfect hanyou mate that had finally soothed the raging beast pounding through Sesshomaru's soul. And, it was those very same visions that had him unconsciously increasing speed as he flew soundlessly through the air.

::::::::::

Inuyasha could feel the steady heartbeat of his mate, the constant _thump_ easing some of the worry from his mind. Lying on the furs of their bed, Sesshomaru's chest to his back, the hanyou was wrapped tightly within the InuYoukai's hold, Sesshomaru's arms wrapped around his chest while mokomoko wound tightly in and around his legs. Being this immobile should have sent a wave of panic through him, but instead, Inuyasha felt his body relax more.

Breathing in deeply, the scents of their earlier rutting assaulted the hanyou's senses, causing a light blush to taint his cheeks. Earlier, Inuyasha had been worried when he'd felt a spike in Sesshomaru's youkai, only to be followed by a complete absence of his mate's aura. He'd spent the next several minutes searching for his mate, only to finally run into Inu no Taisho. When Inuyasha had questioned his uncle regarding Sesshomaru's whereabouts, the Lord of the West had only smiled and answered, "Sesshomaru will be back soon. Do not worry yourself."

And that, as they say, had been that. With those few, final words, Inu no Taisho had simply nodded and walked away. Inuyasha had stood there for a moment or two, his mouth open until finally shutting with frustration. Turning, he'd sought out Masaru only to have the damn tiger youkai refuse to spar with him as he felt Inuyasha was still healing from the previous day's attack.

Fed up, Inuyasha had finally traipsed back to the rooms he used to call his own, only to find Kitanya practicing some fighting moves with Sango. He'd spent the rest of the afternoon watching the bear submissive, trying hard not to think about how unsettled he felt not having his mate within the palace. Having not been this far away from Sesshomaru since agreeing to be his mate, Inuyasha was disturbed by just how anxious he was. The fact that the bastard hadn't even let him know that he would be gone only caused his temper to flare all the more.

To add insult to injury, he'd eaten dinner alone (having refused Kitanya and Sango's offers of company), bathed alone and gone to bed alone. By the time the Ice-Prick of the West finally landed on their balcony, Inuyasha was well and truly pissed. Tired of being edgy and anxious, he'd settled upon anger as the more palpable and trustworthy emotion.

Determined to ignore Sesshomaru just as he believed he'd been ignored, Inuyasha had curled up, keeping his face and emotions away from his stupid mate. Stiff and unyielding, the hanyou had been determined that Sesshomaru wasn't getting his cock anywhere near his ass. Inuyasha had been so certain of his own resolve, so certain that he could and would stand up to his insensitive mate, so convinced of how right his anger was.

But as with so many things in life, the night did not go as he'd planned. Sesshomaru had climbed in behind and beside him and with that movement, Inuyasha had taken a deep breath, ready to tell the bastard exactly what he was not going to get, but with that breath came a scent that the hanyou had never tasted – the scent of fur mixed with the unmistakable sickeningly sweet stench of Sesshomaru's poison. Brow now furrowed, worry began pushing away the anger.

Turning within those powerful arms, Inuyasha opened his mouth to ask what had happened, when Sesshomaru captured his lips. Within that kiss, the hanyou could taste the faint hints of the lingering poison his mate had evidently exuded earlier. Pulling away, Inuyasha's amber eyes traced the lines of Sesshomaru's face, looking for even the slightest hint as to what happened, and to make sure that his mate was truly fine. Seeing nothing, Inuyasha was beginning to relax into his previous anger when one of Sesshomaru's clawed fingers came into view. Amber eyes going wide, Inuyasha reached up, quickly snatching the hand and pulling it in for closer inspection. "What the fuck? Is that dirt?" Gaze going back up to his mate's eyes, Inuyasha's worry began growing anew. Sesshomaru always looked immaculate. The InuYoukai never had dirt under his claws. "Bastard, you better tell – "

"Inuyasha."

That one word, spoken with such reverence . . . Inuyasha's mouth instantly closed, his eyes searching before asking, "Are you okay?"

"Forgive me for leaving the palace. It was . . . necessary. In the future, I shall attempt to keep such things from happening."

And just like that, Inuyasha felt all the anxiety of earlier wash away. "I didn't like ya bein' gone."

"Understandable. Know that on the few occasions when I must leave you, it is for your own protection."

Confused, Inuyasha tilted his head, a single puppydog ear twitching to the side. "You didn't go after that Hakudoshi asshole, did ya?"

At the name, Sesshomaru's eyes instantly turned crimson. "No. With great regret, that is not what so occupied me."

"-Keh, I don't give a shit about that fucker." What Inuyasha didn't say was just how much it worried him thinking about Sesshomaru seeking out someone as dangerous as Hakudoshi seemed to be.

Lowering his head, Sesshomaru lapped at the mating mark he'd placed upon Inuyasha's flesh, the action earning him a pleasurable moan. "I do not wish to think or speak of such things."

Sesshomaru's tongue assaulting that particular patch of skin sent unadulterated waves of lust racing through Inuyasha's body, curling his clawed toes and instantly opening his legs. "F-fuck. I can't think when you do that."

"As it should be."

And that was all it took to have Inuyasha welcoming his mate's cock deep within his wanting body. Sesshomaru had rutted him deep and hard, but not nearly as frantically as he'd done on other occasions. The hanyou wasn't certain how long Sesshomaru had kept going and had long ago lost count of just how many orgasms he'd experienced. Eventually his mate had been satisfied enough to rest but not enough to allow Inuyasha any space of his own.

Sated and pleasantly exhausted, the hanyou settled back into his mate's hold. Whatever had happened, it looked like Sesshomaru was okay and Inuyasha felt a pleasant buzz sing through his body at the thought that it was he, a mere and seemingly inconsequential half-breed that put one of the most powerful beings upon the earth at ease.

 _So, again, a bit of a shorter chapter, but this week this story gets mid-week update and that one will be very important. Why it's important . . . I'm not telling, you'll just have to wait and read :-) Not surprisingly, Hakudoshi has fled the palace. I'm trying to kind of make him take after Naraku and that's what always irritated the hell out of me about him. After each and every altercation, he just kind of . . . well, he would kind of drift off or something. They could never quite eliminate him completely. I always saw Naraku as cowardly. But I suppose one person's coward is the next person's survivalist, so who knows._

 _Until next time, have a good and safe week._

 _lunamist_


	24. Chapter 24

_Good evening everyone. As always, thanks to everyone that reviewed last time. I'm getting started on this later than I would have liked, so I'm not going to say much in the author's notes and let the chapter speak for itself. Anyone missing Kouga? Hmmm . . . well, he might just make an appearance again before this fic ends :-)_

 _Chapter 24 . . ._

"What's goin' on?" Inuyasha couldn't help tapping his toes as he stood waiting for someone to start talking. It had been over seven months since Hakudoshi's attack and the hanyou had never known such peace and contentment were possible. Having written Kaede many times, he was pleased that the old miko had survived yet another winter and was enjoying the bounties of early summer. Inuyasha was still trying to figure out how to get Sesshomaru to agree on letting him visit with her. Unfortunately, the InuYoukai's one and only visit to Kaede's village had left a rather lasting impression. Still, Inuyasha thought he was beginning to wear the bastard down. If there was anything he was good at, it was tenacity.

Amber eyes scanning the room, Inuyasha wondered again what the fuck was going on. Sesshomaru hardly ever interrupted his sessions with Lady Avietty. The hanyou thought that little fact probably had more to do with the old owl youkai's wrath than Sesshomaru's desire for Inuyasha to learn. But for some reason, today was different. No more had he sat down behind the desk in Avietty's room than Jaken knocked on the door, the little kappa bending low and informing Avietty that the Lord of the West had requested Inuyasha's presence. From the look Jaken received, Inuyasha was surprised the imp hadn't burst into flames immediately upon looking into Avietty's eyes.

Thinking back on Jaken's fear-stricken orbs, Inuyasha had to work hard to stifle a chuckle. Most likely the little toad was still cowering in a corner somewhere. Jaken's bulging eyes were almost enough to make up for the fact that Inuyasha had been pulled from Avietty's rooms. Normally that wouldn't bother him, but for whatever reasons, the hanyou had been feeling a little tired and queasy recently and was actually looking forward to an excuse to do little more than sit on his ass. Instead, he now found said ass standing, his clawed toes irritably clicking along otherwise pristine planks of ancient wood.

Amber eyes traversing the room, Inuyasha was becoming increasingly annoyed that he'd been called here, and now, for all practical purposes, was being ignored. Was that piece of parchment everyone seemed to be looking at all that damned important? "If nobody's gonna tell me anything then I'll just – "

"Inuyasha." The hanyou wondered if Sesshomaru's voice would always cut him to the core like that. "Have you had many recent correspondents with the wolf?"

Inuyasha didn't really have to ask Sesshomaru what _wolf_ he was talking about. Although he'd gotten a couple of letters from Ayame, he was fairly certain his mate wasn't talking about Kouga's submissive. "Not for awhile. I think maybe two months ago, maybe three. Why?"

Looking up from the paper lying upon his desk, Inu no Taisho's eyes appeared thoughtful. "Did he mention anything about his father in that letter?"

Inuyasha simply shrugged. "Not really. Kouga's sire's never been real fond of the idea that his son seems to like hangin' out with a half-breed. I know they don't get along real great anymore, but that's about it."

Staff tilting back, Miroku's clawed fingers rubbed along the edge of his jaw. "It would appear that that particular bit of animosity has finally come to fruition."

Although he wasn't exactly sure what that meant, Inuyasha felt his back stiffen as fear crept into his veins. "Is dogbreath okay? That bastard father of his didn't hurt him, did he?"

Behind him, Inu no Taisho heard the jealous rumble of Sesshomaru's growl. His son was not particularly keen on the idea that his mate kept up an ongoing correspondence with the dominant heir of two of the most powerful wolf tribes in all four nations. The Lord of the West still remembered the fall-out from his foolish son ordering Inuyasha not to write to Kouga anymore. Silently chuckling, Inu no Taisho remembered well the hanyou's punishment for such idiocy as well as how quickly Sesshomaru caved to his mate's will.

Predictably, Sesshomaru had learned that trying to dictate whom Inuyasha could and could not communicate with was a massive error. The only part that truly surprised the Lord of the West was the speed with which his nephew had corrected Sesshomaru's _mistake_. Despite this, his son was still jealous of the relationship Kouga and Inuyasha had, as well as the fact that no matter what Sesshomaru did, the fact was that the wolf had been there for Inuyasha long before Sesshomaru had even known of his future mate's existence. Inuyasha's question being laced with concern for Kouga's wellbeing ate at Sesshomaru's pride.

Ignoring his son, Inu no Taisho looked back down at the scrawled kanji before looking back to his nephew. "You need not worry about Lord Kouga's health."

"Oh," Inuyasha sighed. "That's good, so . . . wait . . . _Lord Kouga_?"

"Indeed," Miroku chimed in. "It appears as if both the Northern and Mountain Wolf Packs have a new leader. Although there are few details written here, it seems that your friend challenged his father and won. With that win, he has now become lord of both packs."

Opening his mouth to respond, Inuyasha shut it just as quickly. Although he hadn't been raised in youkai society, he was pretty certain what it meant to defeat a leader and the thought of Kouga actually killing his own father . . . "And his father?"

Intently looking at his mate, Sesshomaru heard the question for what it was. "The details of the loosing party are not conveyed within this missive. The fate of the previous lord, Kouga's father, is unknown."

Nodding, Inuyasha clenched his teeth against the image of Kouga's claws drenched in his own father's blood. True, the hanyou thought Kouga's father was an ignorant asshole, but he was still Kouga's sire. No matter how angry Kouga was with his father, he knew it must have wounded something deep within his friend's soul to be pushed to that end. "So, that's it. Kouga's in charge of a bunch of mangy-ass wolves now."

Although all within the room agreed, it was Miroku that actually laughed. "It seems so." Looking down to Inu no Taisho, the monk inclined his head. "Perhaps it would be best if it were you whom explained the rest of the situation."

"Wait, there's more?" Inuyasha asked.

"Inuyasha, you have had enough lessons with Lady Avietty to know that the West's relationship with the wolf tribes that ring our borders have been, at best, tenuous. Both the Northern and Mountain Wolf Packs live within the borderlands of the West and North with neither fully being able to lay claim to them. As much as it annoys your mate, my son, to admit this, the combined wolf packs hold power, in sheer numbers alone they are a force to be reckoned with."

Inuyasha huffed. "-Keh, as horny as Kouga always seemed, it ain't no wonder there are a lot of them litterin' the earth."

Once more, Sesshomaru growled low. "I was unaware the wolf indicated such intentions towards you."

But Inuyasha simply waved a hand in dismissal. "It wasn't me he was interested in and you damn well know that. Kouga may be an idiot, but he's a loyal one. Dogbreath only had eyes or intentions towards one submissive and that was Ayame. He was love-struck by her long before he ever met me."

"For the wolf's continued survival, that is fortunate indeed."

Rolling his eyes at Sesshomaru's unmasked jealousy, Inuyasha ignored his mate and looked to Inu no Taisho. "So, how does Kouga defeatin' his father change all that?"

Smiling for the first time, the Lord of the West neatly folded the letter in his hand, depositing it within the confines of his desk. "Lord Kouga would like permission to visit the Western Lands this coming fall. More specifically, he indicates a desire to change the current relationship between the West and the packs he now has control of. I am pleased to say that Lord Kouga expressed interest in strengthening those relations."

"Oh, well I guess that's a good thing." Puppydog ear twitching, Inuyasha stuffed his hands into the sleeves of his kimono.

"A very good thing. If we can come to some kind of agreement, it will not only strengthen our border but increase trade and prosperity."

Miroku smirked. "Of course, it doesn't hurt that being able to broker a treaty with the wolves, when the Lord of the North could not, would be most entertaining."

Reaching for his sake cup, Inu no Taisho shrugged his massive shoulders. "I'll not deny the pleasure such a revelation would give me." Swallowing the burning liquid, the Lord of the West's eyes fell upon his nephew once more. "I believe it is no small statement to say that you are the reason behind all of this."

"W-what? I don't think – "

"Inuyasha, I may detest your continued relationship with the wolf, but I will admit that it is Kouga's one redeeming quality. As you said earlier, your friend is loyal, not only to his mate, but to you as well. This Sesshomaru had dealings with Kouga's sire long ago and the youkai proved himself to be less than honorable. It is a trait that his son seems to have avoided inheriting."

Inuyasha was fairly certain that no matter how much time elapsed; he'd never feel comfortable with gratitude or praise. Shifting his feet, the hanyou tried to ease the growing ache forming low within his back, the fatigue that seemed to follow that ache was both unwelcome and unsettling. Silently Inuyasha wondered if living within the palace was making him soft.

"So dogbreath ain't comin' 'til this fall." Regardless of the reasons, the hanyou was itching to get out of that room. A warm bath was sounding increasing good and once again he berated himself for sounding so damn weak.

"Of course several things could happen or change in that amount of time. I am uncertain if he will correspond to you in particular about the timing, but my guess is that most of the letters coming from Lord Kouga will be addressed to me in particular, especially if they are in regards to an official meeting to discuss terms between his packs and the Western Lands."

Nodding at Inu no Taisho, Inuyasha felt his eyelids droop with his growing fatigue. "Okay. If I hear anything from the fleabag, I'll let ya know. Anything else ya need?"

Eyes narrowing, Sesshomaru didn't miss the change in Inuyasha's demeanor, nor had he missed it these past two weeks. The past few days, he'd come into their rooms only to find Inuyasha lying in their bed, asleep. Masaru had also commented that Inuyasha's stamina did not appear to be what it once was and he'd had to cut their training sessions short the last two days when he noted the hanyou making more mistakes, Inuyasha's moves becoming increasingly sluggish and delayed.

And yet, as was typical, when he'd questioned his mate on his health, Inuyasha had told him he was _fine_ and that Sesshomaru was worrying about _stupid shit_ again.

Inuyasha's growing weariness wasn't lost upon the other youkai within the room. Holding his tongue on the matter, Inu no Taisho gave a nod of his head. "That is all. You are free to leave."

Briefly looking over to Sesshomaru, Inuyasha gave a crooked smile and said, "See ya later," before turning on his heel and heading into the hall, his feet softly padding down the corridors to he and Sesshomaru's private rooms and the bath he was already planning.

When he could no longer scent the hanyou or hear the nearly silent tread of his nephew's feet, Inu no Taisho finally spoke. "Sesshomaru, is Inuyasha well?"

"He claims to be so."

"That is not what I asked."

Pausing for a moment, Sesshomaru regarded his father's answer. "I am uncertain. Inuyasha is not feverish and there is no scent of illness or poison within him, but his appetite is erratic and he appears to tire easily."

"Hmm," Miroku hummed. "And what does Norim have to say on the matter?"

"I have not requested the healer's aid."

While Miroku gave a quietly surprised, "Oh," Inu no Taisho stood and turned fully toward his son, his voice harsh and demanding as he asked, "Why not?"

Eyes drifting toward the door his mate had recently walked through, Sesshomaru's mind wandered down past conversations and arguments he'd had with his hanyou. "Inuyasha lived alone for many years and had to conceal injury and sickness lest he make himself an even greater target. I have learned that it is an ingrained instinct for him to deny when he is injured or ill. However, my constant inquiries into his health caused Inuyasha to be . . . defensive and angered. He interpreted my concern as a belief that he was more fragile than a full-blooded youkai." Looking back at his father, Sesshomaru's normally cold eyes looked momentarily soft and oddly vulnerable. "Inuyasha's distress over such thoughts was troubling and needed to be rectified. To that end, this Sesshomaru made a deal with him. I informed Inuyasha I would take his word that whatever was going on within his body was not life threatening and would cease to, as he said, _fuss_ over him. This pact is valid as long as the hanyou is honest and informs this Sesshomaru when something is truly in need of intervention.

Smiling wide, Miroku's eyes crinkled with pleasure but for once, the monk managed to keep his mouth shut and wait for the Lord of the West's answer.

Mouth thin and eyes contemplative, Inu no Taisho finally sighed while giving an approving nod. "I would imagine such an agreement is difficult for you."

The lack of answer on Sesshomaru's behalf was in fact answer enough.

"I know I don't have to tell you to keep a close watch upon him."

"And yet, that is exactly what you have done."

Head snapping up, Inu no Taisho did not miss the coldly accusing undertones to Sesshomaru's words. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"While I understand you concerns, father, I must trust in my mate that he will inform me when there is cause for intervention. I will endeavor to show him the same respect that I bestow upon you."

Blowing out a deep breath, the Lord of the West felt oddly proud of his son, he just wished the circumstances were different. "I will respect not only your decision but the reason behind it. If you require anything, you have but to ask."

Already walking away, Sesshomaru didn't even turn his head while responding, "Again, you waste your breath on things that are already known."

Chuckling deep within his chest, Inu no Taisho thought, once again, his son had an excellent point. Laughter turning into a light hearted growl, the Lord of the West looked to Miroku while bending his head toward the door. "You may go," and soon enough, Inu no Taisho was alone once more in his rooms. Sitting down behind his desk, the InuDaiYoukai pulled Kouga's letter from his drawer, scanning the contents again and finally allowing a very satisfied smile to tug at his lips. Smile turning into something far more devious, the Lord of the West began considering all the ways in which he might be able to use this new alliance to irritate the Lord of the North. To his mind, the possibilities were deliciously endless.

::::::::::

Inuyasha stood, bent at the waist and panting heavily. In his hand, Tessaiga looked little more than a rusted out shell of a once mighty sword. Even so, he doubted he'd even still be able to stand if it wasn't for the fact that he'd driven the tip of the blade into the ground, using the sword more as a crutch than the mighty weapon it was supposed to be.

"Perhaps we should end today's lesson."

Swiveling his head, Inuyasha's lips pulled back, ready to curse Masaru and tell him exactly where he could shove his concern, but just the simple act of turning his head suddenly made the world spin and a fresh wave of nausea roll deep within his belly. Eyes closed tight against the suddenly tilted landscape, the hanyou took a deep breath before finally pulling his body up straight.

Clawed hands lax at his sides, Masaru studied his pupil and desperately tried to push down the anxiety growing within his chest. He'd hoped that whatever was plaguing Inuyasha was temporary and would work itself out, but instead of getting better, the hanyou was only worsening. Masaru could feel the frustration radiating off Inuyasha in waves and yet, not knowing exactly what was wrong, he could do little more than try not to insult his student by going too easy on him. But that line of thinking was becoming increasingly difficult when it was so obvious that there was something wrong with the hanyou.

"Inuyasha – "

"Don't. Whatever the fuck you're gonna say, just shove it."

Sighing, Masaru sat back on his heels. "Do you wish to continue?"

Frustrated with his own body and whatever the fuck was wrong with it, Inuyasha wanted to demand that they keep going, but there were a couple of problems with that. First was that he doubted he could lift Tessaiga, much less transform it. And second . . . well, he figured someone of Masaru's station had a lot more important things to be doing besides coddling an apparently weak-assed half-breed.

Forcing his body to full height, Inuyasha put Tessaiga back in its sheath, both he and Masaru trying to ignore the slight tremble in his arm as he did so. Head turned to the side while shoving his hands deep into the sleeves of his kimono, Inuyasha's puppydog ears flattened deep within the silvery-white strands of his hair. "-Keh, I got other shit that needs doin' today so you don't gotta stand there and baby me."

Breathing out a frustrated, "Inuyasha," Masaru didn't have time to question or say anything else as the hanyou was already walking away. Uttering a hushed, "Damn-it," into the air, the tiger youkai raked his lethal claws through a nearby tree before setting off. He'd tried respecting Inuyasha's privacy but this was getting out of hand. Mind made up, Masaru closed his eyes and opened his senses. Despite his angered worry, a gentle smile worked its way across Masaru's lips when he felt his mate's presence, the tiger's feet automatically moving in Norim's direction.

:::::::::

Plopping down roughly upon the furs of he and Sesshomaru's bed, Inuyasha placed his forehead within the palms of his hands. No matter how much rest he got, no matter how much he ate or drank, no matter what he did, this damn fatigue persisted. And not only that, but it was getting worse.

Pulling his hands away, Inuyasha stared down at the clawed tips of his fingers, his mind distant and his voice soft as he whispered, "What the fuck's wrong with me?"

"Inuyasha."

Head whipping up and around, Inuyasha had a moment of relief that the room didn't spin before his amber eyes met concerned brown orbs. Sitting up straighter, the hanyou smiled as he attempted to hide just how upset he was. "Hey, Kitanya. Shouldn't ya be practicin' with Sango?"

Shaking her head, Kitanya moved further into the room, kneeling in front of the hanyou, one of her upper fangs worrying her bottom lip. "No. Lady Sango and Kirara have been sent on a mission to the southern end of the Western Lands. Depending upon how her mission goes, she will be gone a few days to weeks."

"Oh, I see." Eyes looking intently down at his hands, Inuyasha wasn't really in the mood to talk and asked, "Is there somethin' ya needed then?"

In answer, Kitanya reached forward, grasping Inuyasha's hands within her own, much like she'd done after the hanyou's battle with Jakotem "Forgive me. I know you don't like anyone asking about your health, but – "

"-Keh," Inuyasha hissed, pulling his hands away. "Then what the fuck are you askin' for?"

Far from detoured, Kitanya sat taller, squaring her shoulders. "Something is wrong. I heard you admit it before I walked in."

Inuyasha snarled. "What? Are you spyin' on me now?"

"If keeping a close watch on you because I am concerned is considered spying, then I am guilty of that infraction. But no matter what you call it, the fact that I overheard what you said just now does not negate the words themselves."

Looking away, Inuyasha felt his temper slipping with his constant fatigue. "So what if I did?"

Blinking several times, Kitanya could only stare; momentarily stunned to silence that the hanyou had admitted it so easily. Truly, she'd expected a much bigger fight. "Inuyasha, you need to talk to Lord Sesshomaru about this. I know he is worried but he is trying to respect your desire to take care of yourself. I . . . I know you are proud and – "

"I ain't proud."

Kitanya could only smile. "Inuyasha, you are, perhaps, the most proud being I have ever met. But it is a pride not based in conceit but necessity." Seeing that the hanyou still had his head turned from her, Kitanya lifted a hand, the tips of her fingers gently shifting Inuyasha's gaze to her own. "Remember, it's not just about you now. Your health and wellbeing affect not only you, but Prince Sesshomaru as well. His strength is a reflection of you."

Pulling out of Kitanya's fingers, Inuyasha lowered his head. "It's Sesshomaru that I'm thinkin' about. He's got enough shit to worry about and I don't want any of those fucker's that he's worried about to get wind that I'm weak and vulnerable. I may not understand youkai politics, but I do understand youkai. They're just like any other predator and once they smell blood then they'll be out to finish the kill."

Kitanya did her best to ignore the shiver those words sent down her spine. Unfortunately, as usual, Inuyasha's grasp of youkai nature was frighteningly sharp. "Normally I would agree, but whatever is going on does not appear to be something you can solve on your own. As the days pass, you are not getting better, but worse and it is not only myself and Prince Sesshomaru that have noticed."

Head still pointed down but eyes tilted up, Kitanya's words were not lost upon Inuyasha. "What have the servant's been sayin?"

"Not much, at least, not yet. Most likely a lot of them haven't noticed but a few have begun commenting that you seem to be spending a lot more time in your rooms." Grinning, Kitanya gave a wry smirk. "Most think you are otherwise _occupied_ by Prince Sesshomaru, but it won't be long before they start noticing that he's not up here with you."

"Fuck," Inuyasha sighed. "I hate gossipin'."

"You can hate it all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that it happens and that, despite what you may think, such talk can and does do more damage than even the sharpest sword."

Silent, Inuyasha listened to all Kitanya had to say, his heart growing heavier with each and every passing moment as the reality of what he needed to do settled in. "You know, I made the bastard a promise."

Confused, not about whom Inuyasha was referring to, but more as to the promise made, Kitanya's head tilted to the side. "What promise."

"That I would tell Sesshomaru if there was ever somethin' really wrong with me. He kept harpin' on me about every little wound I got and it was drivin' me crazy so we came to a kind of agreement. He wouldn't pester me about every knick and scratch I got so long as I told him when somethin' really serious was goin' on."

In her mind, Kitanya doubted the wounds Inuyasha so calmly spoke of were truly that minor, but she let that thought go with the realization of the implications of Inuyasha telling her about the pact were.

"I guess this might be one of those times." The resignation in Inuyasha's voice was palpable, as was the sadness. "Not that I know what the fuck is the matter either, but you're right, it sure as shit ain't gettin' better and I'm sick of feelin' so damn tired and useless."

Standing upright, Kitanya gave a shallow bow. "I see no time like the present."

Head snapping up, Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, but wound up closing it, a resigned nod his answer instead.

Trying to conceal just how worried she was, Kitanya put on a brave smile before quickly turning, her feet scurrying along on her quest to find the Heir of the West.

Alone, Inuyasha didn't know exactly how to feel. He had so many conflicting emotions that it was difficult to pick one. Head bent, the hanyou closed his eyes, self-disappointment tugging at his soul. And somehow, that disappointment only made him feel more tired than before.

Seemingly against his will, Inuyasha felt his eyelids begin to droop and couldn't for the life of him keep them open. Lying down on his side, the hanyou thought he'd just rest his eyes a bit before Sesshomaru came. No doubt he'd hear and scent the InuYoukai's approach and have plenty of time to pull himself together before his mate entered their rooms.

::::::::::

Sesshomaru's normally stoic heart was beating just that much faster as he stared down at his obviously ill mate. Sound asleep, Inuyasha had not even twitched when he'd entered their private chambers. Paler than normal, dark circles under his eyes, his hanyou simply laid there, his chest moving at an even and steady rate. To most it would appear as if Inuyasha were simply tired and felt secure enough to sleep through his mate's presence, but Sesshomaru knew better. Even after all this time, his hanyou still reacted when he entered, even when Inuyasha was fast asleep. It might simply be an increase in heart rate, or the slight twitch of a puppydog ear, but there was always a sign that Inuyasha recognized, on some subconscious level, that there was another in his presence.

"Prince Sesshomaru?"

Having momentarily forgotten about Kitanya's presence, Sesshomaru never once took his eyes off his sleeping mate as he ordered, "Leave us."

Without a word, Kitanya did as she was told, her brown eyes hooded and filled with a concern she refused to put words to.

Listening, Sesshomaru heard the slide of the door and knew he was alone with Inuyasha. Walking forward, the Prince of the West felt mokomoko twitch at his side and didn't even try and halt his fur when it eased forward, stroking his hanyou's cheek and slowly waking his mate. Within in a few seconds Inuyasha's eyelids began fluttering, deep amber orbs coming into view as the hanyou's sleepy voice questioned, "Sesshomaru?"

Careful to keep his face open and at ease, Sesshomaru nodded. "Kitanya said you needed to speak with me about something."

"Oh." Pushing himself up into a sitting position, Inuyasha yawned widely, his fisted hands rubbing vigorously at his still sleepy eyes. After a few moments it finally dawned on the hanyou that he hadn't woken up when Sesshomaru had entered the room and the shame of that action ate deeper at Inuyasha's heart.

Squeezing his eyes closed, Inuyasha hated the weakness that appeared to be seeping into his bones. The growing sense of worthlessness consuming his soul was frightening. Forcing his eyes open, Inuyasha glanced up at his mate, expecting to see accusation in Sesshomaru's eyes, but instead saw only concern. Of course, he'd had to look pretty deep to find any emotion there at all.

Remaining where he was, Sesshomaru watched the pained emotions scatter across Inuyasha's face and fought with everything he had not to react. His hanyou had finally called him for a reason and the InuYoukai could only hope that it was to finally admit that something was well and truly wrong. For that to happen, Sesshomaru needed to pull upon the well of patience that more often than not, ran dry within his body.

With a heavy sigh, Inuyasha scratched the back of a puppydog ear before diving straight into the heart of the matter. "You've probably noticed that I ain't been feelin' like myself recently."

"This Sesshomaru is aware."

Looking up, Inuyasha met Sesshomaru's gaze and held it. "But you've kept your mouth shut about it."

"As per our earlier agreement. You swore you would inform me if there was something ailing you that was truly a concern. I have been trying to honor that pact and not hover over you."

Mouth quirking up at the side, Inuyasha nodded his head. "Yeah, and you've done a damn fine job of it. I really didn't know if you had it in ya or not."

Far from offended, Sesshomaru cared little for what Inuyasha thought him capable of or not, at least not at this moment. As far as he was concerned, the only thing that mattered was what was going on with his hanyou. Taking a chance, Sesshomaru asked, "Am I to assume that this situation is graver than typical?"

"-Keh," Inuyasha huffed, "I wish I knew." Shaking his head, the hanyou looked down at his clawed hands. "I don't know what's goin' on. All I know is that I ain't been this weak since I was a pup and I don't even think I was that bad then. I don't have stamina to do shit and it don't change no matter how much I sleep." Eyes drifting to a nearby window, Inuyasha's shoulders slumped. "My appetite's been kinda off too. Sometimes I feel ravenous, and other times the thought of food makes me wanna puke. In fact, I did puke the other day." Mind drifting over the recent days, Inuyasha added, "And now I'm gettin' dizzy." Frustrated, Inuyasha slammed a clawed fist down upon their bed. "Damn-it! I can't stand bein' like this. I'm so gods be damned weak. If this gets out . . . I mean . . . right now, I'm just a big fuckin' liability to you and I – "

"Silence."

Eyes wide and uncertain, Inuyasha didn't understand why Sesshomaru looked so angry and deep within his soul the fear crept back in – the fear that his mate would no longer want him now that he understood just how truly weak and useless he was. "Sessh – "

"I told you to be silent."

"And when the fuck have I ever done what you told me to?" Inuyasha asked, anger flooding his veins.

"Those occasions are far too seldom for this Sesshomaru's comfort," Sesshomaru answered while moving forward, mokomoko wrapping around Inuyasha and pulling his hanyou into his arms. "And yet, I would not desire you so much if it were any other way."

Allowing himself to relax into the comforting scent and presence of his mate, Inuyasha melted into Sesshomaru's body, his own limbs going lax and pliable within the InuYoukai's powerful embrace.

Feeling Inuyasha relax, Sesshomaru moved to the bed, sitting gently while cradling his hanyou within his lap. Clawed hands running through his mate's hair, Sesshomaru began absent-mindedly stroking the base of a puppydog ear. "We can debate later the fact that you should have come to me sooner, but the important issue is that you have admitted you are in need of aid." Tilting Inuyasha's head so that he had even better access to those tempting ears, Sesshomaru added, "You will never think of yourself as a liability to this Sesshomaru again. You are my mate and as such, you are more precious to me than anything upon heaven or earth."

Inuyasha heard the words as if they were coming from a great distance. "But – "

"There are no _buts_ and even in your current condition, you are far from weak. Whatever this illness is that is plaguing you, we shall find an answer and rectify it."

"You sound so damn sure." For the first time in days, Inuyasha felt a sincere smile pull at his lips.

"This Sesshomaru does not fail. You should understand that by now."

Inuyasha wished he had that kind of confidence but figured for now, at least, he'd have to rely on the overabundance that his mate seemed to have. And so, instead of questioning things further, Inuyasha simply answered, "'Kay."

"No doubt Kitanya is still nearby. I will send her to inform Norim that he is needed. We will see what the healer has to say and if Norim does not know what ails you, then we shall keep searching until we find one that does."

Still holding his hanyou, Sesshomaru stood and began walking toward the door separating his and what used to be Inuyasha's rooms. As expected, Kitanya was waiting upon the other side. "Bring Norim here immediately."

Quickly bowing, Kitanya was out the door within the span of less than a heartbeat.

Safe within Sesshomaru's arms, Inuyasha was finally free to allow the worry that he'd been shoving away to consume him. "W-what if it's more of that sorcery bullshit?"

Instantly, Sesshomaru's muscles stiffened. "If that is so, then this Sesshomaru will not rest until the Caves of WenKai are awash in Hakudoshi's blood."

"Don't you dare go doin' somethin' stupid. I can't be worryin' about your ass right now."

"You have so little faith in my abilities?"

"-Keh, you know that ain't true. I just don't trust this whole sorcery shit. I don't understand it and from what I've learned, it ain't to be taken lightly. As far as I know, you don't know sorcery and if that's the case, then Hakudoshi's got a pretty good edge. That edge is most likely even greater on his home turf."

Intellectually Sesshomaru knew Inuyasha was right, but his youkai would have none of it and pounded fiercely against his will.

Feeling Sesshomaru's youkai pulse and swirl around him, Inuyasha was sorry he'd ever brought up Hakudoshi. "Besides, it probably doesn't have anything to do with that fucker. Could be some type of poison or maybe just somethin' to do with me bein' a half-breed." Deep in his heart, that was probably Inuyasha's greatest fear – that whatever was wrong was because he was a mix – a living being that many thought should never have been allowed to draw breath. Maybe he really was defective in some way. Maybe hanyou in general only had a finite amount of time on the earth. Maybe he'd used up his allotted years and this was it. Gods above, but if that was the case, then the fates were truly a bunch of cruel bitches.

Walking back to their bed, Sesshomaru sat once more, his mind contemplating the scenarios Inuyasha had brought up. As he told his father, he could scent no poison on Inuyasha and so he doubted this to be the case. But his mate was right, there was so much none of them knew about hanyou as so few actually lived into adulthood. Being a rare creature made Inuyasha special, but also made his mate vulnerable if only for the reason that there was precious little knowledge to draw upon when it came to Inuyasha.

"Any speculation at this point is futile. Norim will –"

"My prince," Norim's breathy voice broke through whatever else Sesshomaru had been about to say.

At the sound of the healer's voice, Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru's arms tighten down on him. No matter how confident his mate sounded, the hanyou knew Sesshomaru was worried and now that Norim was here, the answer – whether good or bad, could soon be coming.

"Healer Norim, you arrived sooner than expected."

Bowing low to his prince, Norim began striding into the room, his face flushed with the rush to get there. "I must confess, I was already on my way to see Inuyasha when Lady Kitanya found me." Face reddening further with his embarrassment, Norim's fingers fidgeted at his sides. "Masaru came to me earlier and expressed his concern. My mate would never wish to interfere, but he was – "

"The circumstances do not concern me, only finding the answer to whatever it is that ails my mate."

"Yes, Prince Sesshomaru."

Finally pushing up and out of Sesshomaru's arms, at least a little, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Always so damn ungrateful and pushy about shit."

"When it comes to your safety and health, there is no way possible that this Sesshomaru can be anything but."

Inuyasha squirmed and wanted to get mad, but having spent most of his life without a soul to care about him, it felt too damn good knowing that he now had a mate that not only cared about him, but put his life above all others.

Embarrassed, Inuyasha tried pushing away, becoming increasingly frustrated when Sesshomaru refused to release him. "Damn-it! Norim's here for a reason and you need to let me go so that he can do what he's gotta do."

In response, Sesshomaru growled low while burrowing his nose into Inuyasha's neck. Within seconds, the hanyou felt Sesshomaru's tongue lap at his mating mark and couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine.

Pulling away enough to speak, Sesshomaru's voice was softer than a whisper. "Remember whom you belong to."

Eyes half lidded, Inuyasha felt as if he'd been drugged and couldn't quite shake the feeling as Sesshomaru finally released him and moved a short distance away. When reason finally came crashing back, the hanyou's eyes narrowed while mouthing the word, "Asshole," to his mate. As expected, his silent remark didn't even garner a raised eyebrow.

Patiently waiting, Norim's lips twitched at his prince's antics, but his mirth was fleeting and would fade soon enough.

With Sesshomaru moved away, Norim approached, making sure the whole of his demeanor was submissive and nonthreatening. Sesshomaru was worried and on edge and was bound to be even more protective and unpredictable than usual. Smiling benignly, Norim held his hands up, a soft glowing light beginning to form over his palms. "Inuyasha, I believe you are aware of how this normally works. While I am analyzing your body, please relate to me the symptoms you have been feeling."

"Healer, are you able to feel the effects of sorcery?"

Halting, Norim took in a deep breath, the light surrounding his hands dissipating as he turned to stare at Sesshomaru. "I . . . I am unsure. You believe such a foul thing to be the source?"

"We are uncertain, but given the events of last fall, it is a possibility that can not be ignored."

Lips nothing but a thin line of thought, Norim took a few moments before nodding his head. "I think it best that I examine Inuyasha first but if there is any doubt, I would recommend calling Miroku to do his own examination."

Sesshomaru didn't like the idea of the lecherous monk anywhere near his mate, but could concede the wisdom in Norim's words. "I will take your advice into consideration."

Nodding that he understood, Norim shook off the unease the thoughts of sorcery brought and concentrated on the task at hand. Turning his attention back to Inuyasha, the healer ordered, "It would help me if you were to lay on your back. As stated earlier, as I'm examining you, please tell me what symptoms you've been experiencing."

Huffing once, Inuyasha scooted back on the bed, lying on his back with his arms and hands at his sides. Even though he trusted Norim and had been through several of his exams in the past, it still made the hanyou uncomfortable to expose his tender belly to anyone other than Sesshomaru. To take his mind off of the whole procedure, he began telling the healer exactly what he'd just told his mate.

Centuries of practice allowed Norim to split his concentration between what he was physically examining and the words his patient was speaking, integrating them into a single train of thought. Unfortunately, that train of thought was leading him down some very dangerous roads.

While Inuyasha spoke, Norim took in the hanyou's condition. Frowning, Norim easily noted the hanyou's youkai energy seemed severely drained. Inuyasha's heart rate and breathing were slightly more rapid than what was normal for the hanyou, but . . . hands halting all movement, Norim took in a deep breath, his fingers shaking slightly as he began moving his hands again, both palms coming to rest over his patient's abdomen. Eyes closing, the healer spoke softly, "Inuyasha, that will be enough."

Scooting up so that he could put his weight on his elbows, Inuyasha looked down, his amber eyes confused. "Huh? That quick? Normally this shit takes a lot longer."

Giving a hesitant smile, Norim pulled his hands away, tucking them into his lap. "Typically I am unable to find the root of the cause so quickly."

Realization dawned on Inuyasha, his tongue quickly darting out to lick his parched lips. "So . . . that's it? Ya know already?"

"Indeed."

Norim didn't have to look up to know that Sesshomaru had moved closer. Lacing his fingers together, the healer wondered if he would live through the next few moments. Not that he would have stood much of a chance before, but having the InuYoukai within arms reach would assure Norim's death should Sesshomaru react . . . badly.

Becoming increasingly nervous with Norim's continued silence, Inuyasha's ears flattened completely into the strands of his hair, disappearing almost entirely.

"Norim."

That simple word, his name spoken with such coldness from the one he'd promised to serve, from the one whom could end his life and rightfully so. Swallowing, Norim said a prayer for his mate before taking a deep and cleansing breath. Shoulder's squared, the healer stared straight into Sesshomaru's glinting eyes and stated, "Inuyasha is carrying. That is the cause of his illness."

"W-what?" Inuyasha's whispered question was little more than a ghost floating through the silent room. Hand drifting down to his abdomen, the hanyou could only stare in awe. He'd always been a little afraid that, being a half-breed, he wouldn't be able to conceive, but evidently that hadn't made a bit of difference.

Ignoring the hanyou, Norim watched as crimson began leaking into the edges of Sesshomaru's eyes, the InuYoukai speaking but one word. "Explain."

But Norim couldn't, at least, nothing that he was certain of. "I wish I could. I have personally brewed the medicinal tea that should stop conception each and every morning. None other than myself and Lady Kitanya have access to it before it touches Inuyasha's lips. I have changed nothing in its making. As I stated when Inuyasha first arrived, hanyou physiology is different. It could be that the tea is not as effective for him as it is pure youkai."

Growling low, Sesshomaru felt his fangs lengthen, the scent of poison wafting from the tips of his claws as he processed all that Norim was saying. Briefly the thought of ending the healer's life filtered through his brain, but Sesshomaru squashed such instincts. Norim was still needed to solve this situation. Without looking once at Inuyasha, the Heir of the West ordered, "You will remove it. Immediately."

Wincing, Norim nodded as the pain of the situation hit a little too close to home. Of course he and Masaru had one offspring and Norim had desperately wanted more and tried even more desperately to give his mate more heirs. But fate had deemed otherwise and Masaru had demanded they stop trying when Norim had come too close to death.

Inuyasha heard Sesshomaru's command and could barely comprehend the words. Surely his mate hadn't just ordered what he thought. Turning in the bed, the hanyou's eyes were wide and full of ignorant innocence. "Sesshomaru, what are you – "

Ignoring his mate, Sesshomaru's ire was growing at Norim's lack of action. "You will obey this Sesshomaru and remove the pup, now."

"I – "

"What the fuck is goin' on!" Inuyasha's angered growl ripped through the room. Head whipping to the hanyou, Norim inhaled sharply. No longer lying back, Inuyasha was on hands and knees, his claws longer than normal while faint blue stripes violently slashed across his cheeks. Around those normally amber orbs, a deep crimson circled. Norim hadn't thought it possible, but Inuyasha's youkai was surfacing and it was pissed.

Eyes momentarily glancing at Norim, Inuyasha stared through a red haze, his attention landing on his mate – the one that was supposed to protect him, the one that was supposed to protect their pup. But instead, he'd just heard his mate tell the frightened deer youkai that he was to _remove_ the life he'd just learned he was carrying. Teeth snapping, Inuyasha's eyes viciously narrowed. "You will not harm this pup!"

At the pulse of his mate's youkai, Sesshomaru felt his own respond and didn't try and hold it back. "Inuyasha, you are not yet strong enough to carry our pup. You will allow Norim to remove it."

"Like hell," Inuyasha hissed, the whole time backing further and further toward the edge of the bed.

Seeing his mate's retreat only fueled Sesshomaru's growing anxiety. Pointing an accusing finger at Inuyasha's belly, Sesshomaru snarled. "It is killing you. The pup has barely taken hold and it is already draining you. I will cut my seed from your belly if I have to, but you will get rid of it! Nothing will take you from this Sesshomaru."

Scrambling off the bed, Norim moved across the room until his back hit a nearby wall. Almost all of his senses were telling him to leave, and yet, he couldn't. The sheer amount of agony clearly written across both of his prince's faces was too painful to turn away from.

Clawed toes finally touching the floor, Inuyasha continued backing away, the red in his eyes increasing exponentially. "You will have to kill me first."

What little control Sesshomaru had was rapidly fading. His mate was in jeopardy of dying and in many ways, it was his doing. It was his seed that was sucking the life from the one he could not live without. He was the dominant and it was his duty to protect his submissive mate and yet that same submissive was now challenging him. As Inuyasha's youkai grew and pulsed through the room, Sesshomaru's own became increasingly antagonized. The need to put his mate in his place, to exert his dominance, was becoming overwhelming to the Prince of the West.

"Inuyasha," the name was little more than a growl but the hanyou's response was nothing more than that – no words possible as Inuyasha lost all control. And that was the last straw. Faster than the eye could see, Sesshomaru was over the bed and had Inuyasha pinned to the floor, the hanyou's wrists secured above his head as Inuyasha's fangs snapped wildly, his body thrashing below his captor.

Lips pulled back, Sesshomaru snarled menacingly, his youkai pounding with fury as it pushed against his submissive mate below him. Ignoring the scent of blood, both his and Inuyasha's, Sesshomaru's hold was absolute. Within minutes, Inuyasha's youkai began faltering. Between the growing pup that was draining his energy and the powerful dominant pushing against him, there was little else he could do and soon enough, the hanyou collapsed, his body too weak to do little more than pant. "S-Sesh – shomaru . . . "

Feeling the fight leave his mate, Sesshomaru pulled back slightly before sinking his teeth deep into Inuyasha's mating mark, reinforcing his roll in their relationship. Only when Inuyasha had allowed his body to go completely limp did the InuYoukai release his hold and pull back, gently licking the wound as if in apology. It was in the middle of licking the fresh wound he'd made that Sesshomaru's nose picked up something it rarely scented, at least, not from Inuyasha – tears.

Pulling back, Sesshomaru stared down as the salty fluid continued leaking from Inuyasha's closed eyelids. These were not tears of passion but of deep sadness and pain. "Inuyasha?"

"I . . . you can't do this. Gods above, please don't do this." Inuyasha felt like the world had been pulled out from under him. Everything he'd come to trust, everything he'd come to love, all of it was nothing but a lie. If Sesshomaru killed his pup . . . if his mate did that, there would be nothing left. To Inuyasha's mind, nothing could ever make up for that one action. There was no reason that was good enough. He would never be able to forgive Sesshomaru or himself for not being strong enough to protect the life growing within him.

As cold as his heart was, Sesshomaru was always amazed at how his mate was able to affect him. Sitting up, the InuYoukai pulled Inuyasha with him, cradling his mate within his arms and lap, mokomoko wrapped protectively around the amazingly frail hanyou. "Inuyasha, what would you have me do? At your current age and strength, you cannot carry a pup to term. In the end, I would loose you both and that is not something you can ask me to do."

"And you can't ask me to allow this. There has to be another way." Beyond exhausted, Inuyasha could do little more than lay there, his cheek pressed against the steady beat of his mate's chest. Around him, he could feel Sesshomaru's arms tighten just a little more.

Sesshomaru was in Hell. There could be no other word for how he was feeling. Never in his life had he felt so damn helpless and lost. There was no foreseeable way to win, not with the set of circumstances he was facing. And yet, he knew, without his hanyou expressly saying so, that to act now would damage Inuyasha in ways that could possibly never be rectified.

Standing, Sesshomaru carried Inuyasha back to their bed; his mate was already finding it difficult to remain conscious. Tucking Inuyasha under the furs, Sesshomaru leaned over, his voice oddly gentle considering what had just happened. "Rest. You have this Sesshomaru's word that nothing will happen in the meantime."

Lids heavy, Inuyasha could barely move his lips to ask, "Promise?"

"I have already done so."

And with that, Inuyasha finally lost his battle with consciousness and drifted into deep sleep.

Eyes fixed upon his fading mate, Sesshomaru didn't even glance in Norim's direction as he spoke. "I need to speak with my father."

Body shaking, Norim struggled for control as he forced himself away from the wall. "Y-you wish him to come to you?"

"I will not leave Inuyasha."

Nodding, Norim bowed, even though Sesshomaru wouldn't see it and left. Most likely the Lord of the West was in his study, but no matter where Inu no Taisho was, he would be certain to find him as quickly as was possible.

 _Whew . . . that was a rough one to get through. Poor Inuyasha and poor Sesshomaru - talk about a no win situation (for you Star Trek fans out there, this is their version of the Kobioshi Maru - and yes, I have no idea how you really spell it. I just kind of sounded it out)._

 _Next update should hopefully be on Sunday. Is anyone ready to meet Sesshomaru's mother, Lady Shayou? Well, ready or not, here she comes :-)_

 _Until next time, be safe, happy and well._

 _lunamist_


	25. Chapter 25

_Good Sunday evening to everyone. As always, I appreciate all the reviews on the last chapter. Most of you figured out pretty quickly what was wrong with our favorite hanyou, but I think a lot of you were surprised by Sesshomaru's reaction. I was also happy to learn that many of you got my Star Trek reference. Ahhh . . . it's always good to know one isn't alone in such things :-) On a bit of a side note, I am so pleased that many of you seem to like Norim and Masaru. I like them too and when I think sometimes of other Sessh/Inu plots, those two have a knack of popping up in my head again and again._

 _So, this chapter we finally get to meet Sesshomaru's mama. I kind of went with my gut on what I think she'd act like. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of the Lady of the West. Also, I'm going with the suggestion of having Shayou call Inu no Taisho by what might be his real name, not title and also going with the suggestion made to me by ForeverWildfire2.0 and calling him Toga (the spelling there isn't quite right, but easier to do on my computer). Thanks ForeverWildfire2.0!_

 _Chapter 25 . . ._

Inu no Taisho would have needed nothing more than to hear that his son needed him, but the look on Norim's face had given wings to his feet. Even as a pup, Sesshomaru had hardly ever asked him for his aid and the fact that his son was doing so now bode very ill. Hurrying along the corridors, the Lord of the West was anxious to learn what was wrong but did not want to jeopardize his son in any way and like most kingdoms, the walls of the palace seemed to have been built with ears.

Not hesitating to knock, Inu no Taisho slid the door to his son and nephew's private chambers open, hastening inside as Norim scurried after him, the healer sealing them all in tight. Golden eyes quickly scanning the room, the InuDaiYoukai came to an abrupt halt, his breath catching as fear gripped his belly. Only when he saw the subtle rise and fall of his nephew's chest did the Lord of the West feel that tightness ease, if only a little.

Reassured that Inuyasha was still alive, at least for now, Inu no Taisho moved further into the room. Gaze shifting toward his son, the Lord of the West was not surprised that Sesshomaru had not done the same. In fact, Inu no Taisho was fairly certain Sesshomaru's eyes had not strayed, even for a fraction of a second, from the face of his mate.

Now even with the side of the bed, the Lord of the West stood silent. In those few moments, Inu no Taisho removed the fear and uncertainty from both his face and voice. He was the Lord of all the Western Lands, sire of the most powerful youkai to have been born in the last thousand years and mate to one of the most highly sought after InuYoukai ladies and Inu no Taisho would be damned if he acted anything but. Voice calm and near emotionless, the Lord of the West simply stated, "Sesshomaru."

Seconds turned into minutes and still Sesshomaru sat, his silvery white strands of hair falling around his face and tumbling down upon the furs covering Inuyasha's all too quiet form. Only the gentle movement of mokomoko along the hanyou's skin indicated that Sesshomaru was aware and still conscious. Shoulder's back, the Lord of the West steeled his voice. "Son, you will answer your sire when he speaks."

Pausing its actions, mokomoko sat still for a breath before beginning its movements once more. But as the fur began stroking, Sesshomaru finally spoke. "I now know what ails Inuyasha."

Eyes never once leaving the crown of his son's silvery head, Inu no Taisho stood, silently waiting until Sesshomaru continued. "My mate is carrying. It is this Sesshomaru's own seed that is killing him."

Inu no Taisho took a hissing breath before shooting a glance in Norim's direction. "I thought this to be impossible? Has he not been drinking the tea?"

Eyes lowered, Norim could only shake his head. "As I've already told the Prince of the West, I have made no changes in the medicinal brew and no other has had access to the tea but myself and Lady Kitanya. It has been brought to him every morning and he has done as instructed and ingested it each and every day. I do not know for certain how it is that he has conceived. It could be due to his being a half-breed or it could have nothing to do with this. I wish . . . I wish I could tell you more. I – " Head dropping even further, Norim felt weak with guilt. "There is nothing I can do."

Back stiffening, Inu no Taisho could only nod his understanding. Norim had been serving the Lords of the West since he was barely more than a pup himself. None had proven themselves more loyal and on a personal note, the Lord of the West knew that the healer genuinely liked the hanyou. There was no conceivable way that Norim would betray them in such a way. Of course, there was also Lady Kitanya, but given the fact that Inuyasha had saved her from a demeaning life of pain and useless servitude, Inu no Taisho could no more believe her capable of treachery than the healer.

Attention turned back to his son, Inu no Taisho felt his pulse quicken as his stomach dropped. "Inuyasha is aware of the cause of his ailment?"

"The hanyou is aware," Sesshomaru answered, his voice tight.

"And your response to the news?" Inu no Taisho could guess, but wanted it confirmed.

"I ordered Norim to remove the pup."

Mouth pulled down into a thin line, Inu no Taisho took in his son's words, not the least bit surprised by them. Had his own mate been in the same jeopardy, no doubt his own response would have been similar. But whereas his mate was pure InuYoukai, Inuyasha was a half-breed and by definition, his nephew was part human. It was this human side that would most likely not be able to see the practicality of the situation. Then again, the Lord of the West knew many a pureblooded youkai that would not so easily destroy a growing life. "And Inuyasha's response?"

Inu no Taisho shut down all facial response as quickly as possible when Sesshomaru finally raised his eyes. Never, in all his years with his son, had he ever seen Sesshomaru's eyes so full of pain. Where was the icy, emotionless façade his son was so famous for? Gone. When it came to Inuyasha and the prospect of losing his mate, Sesshomaru's inner youkai was screaming in pain.

Looking back down at his mate, Sesshomaru inhaled deeply of Inuyasha's scent, allowing it to soothe his wounded soul. "He reacted . . . badly. I do not believe he would recover from such a loss. Nor do I believe he could ever forgive me for ordering the pup's destruction." Frustrated, Sesshomaru's fist curled, his claws near to piercing his stone-like flesh. "I do not know how to win this battle, father. I can see no option that does not lead to Inuyasha's loss."

"I understand." Without looking, Inu no Taisho waved Norim closer and asked, "What is Inuyasha's condition?"

Sighing, Norim could do little but shake his head. "His youkai is drained dangerously low and the pup is most likely only a month into life. As we all know, it will only worsen as the pup grows and it's demands upon its carrier increase. I . . . I do not believe Inuyasha will be able to live through the pregnancy and even if he did, then he most certainly would not survive the delivery. Being male, it will be necessary to cut the pup from his body and there is no way that he will have enough energy to heal from such an invasive procedure. Inuyasha would die of blood loss before the pup took its first breath."

Careful to continue keeping the grimness from his face, Inu no Taisho nodded once in Norim's direction before answering. "Thank you. You may go but do not speak of this to anyone, not even Masaru. Is that understood?"

"Yes my Lord. I . . . I am sorry."

Giving a final nod of acknowledgement to the healer's regretful words, Inu no Taisho returned his attention back to his son, waiting until he heard the sliding of the door before moving even closer to Sesshomaru.

But before he could speak, Sesshomaru let loose a frustrated growl. "He would not listen to reason. Inuyasha is too stubborn and will never believe the healer's words. Inuyasha has survived everything else in his life and has no reason to believe that this will be any different, but it is different. This is a battle he cannot win, not at his current age. Given a century or two, his youkai will mature enough to be able to withstand the strain of a pregnancy, but not now. He is too young. Too young by far."

Coming to stand slightly behind and at Sesshomaru's side, Inu no Taisho allowed one of his own furs to move forward, draping itself across his son's shoulders in a way Sesshomaru had not allowed in over two centuries. The fact that his son moved into the comfort instead of pulling away spoke volumes. "We will find a way, Sesshomaru. We are InuYoukai and not just any InuYoukai, but the Lords of the Western Lands."

"I would do whatever is necessary, father. I would fight and defeat whatever being stood between myself and the answer, but this is not a battle to be fought in such a way."

"Indeed, of that, you are correct." Giving a grim frown, Inu no Taisho brought a clawed hand to his chin, rubbing it in thought before speaking. "Are you truly willing to do anything?"

Head quickly turning, the fear in Sesshomaru's eyes dissipated into something more predatory. "Again you ask unnecessary things."

"Aye, that I do," Inu no Taisho sighed. "But if this is truly the case, then I believe it is time we contacted Shayou"

Immediately, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, his muscles stiffening. "Mother?"

"I know not of an answer to this dilemma, but as you know, Shayou's grandmother was a powerful sorceress. It is not something Shayou has ever taken pride in nor is it a topic that is widely spoken of, but I know that your great-grandmother had a fondness for your mother and when Shayou was a child, she was left in the old InuYoukai's care on several occasions."

Eyes narrowing even further, Sesshomaru asked, "You mean to tell this Sesshomaru that mother knows sorcery?"

Inu no Taisho shrugged. "Not as such and not nearly in the same capacity that Naraku knew or that we believe Hakudoshi still practices. What I am saying is that your mother has some knowledge of it and several of your great-grandmother's possessions were left in your mother's care when the old InuYoukai passed from this world. It is possible that Shayou will have some knowledge that we do not. If you are willing to involve her, then I believe it is our best option."

Sesshomaru didn't need to consider the question and simply answered a clipped, "Contact her. I will do whatever is required."

Sighing deeply, Inu not Taisho nodded knowing that asking the Lady of the West for anything was a prickly matter. Not only that, but there was a fair chance that even if Shayou did have an answer, she would be just as likely to refuse aid as to give it. Shayou's unpredictability was one of the things Inu no Taisho both loved and hated in his mate.

Turning, the Lord of the West began heading for the door. "I will send word immediately. In the meantime, I will cancel your upcoming meetings and delegate your other responsibilities elsewhere. Until we can come to an appropriate solution, we will keep Inuyasha's condition secret. The less whom know how vulnerable your mate is, the better."

Sesshomaru didn't have to voice his agreement on the matter and instead went back to watching Inuyasha's sleeping form, the hanyou never having stirred once the whole time his father had been in the room. It was a poor sign.

Leaning over, Sesshomaru began carding his claws through Inuyasha's thick, silvery-white strands of hair, his golden eyes never once straying from the bruised skin lying beneath the amber orbs he so loved.

::::::::::

Kitanya stood, brown eyes wide as she stared at the incredibly stunning youkai before her. Shayou was a more delicate version of her son. Skin so white it practically glowed, pink markings artfully slashing across a creamy white landscape, and the same crescent moon adorning her forehead, the Lady of the West was a vision. One could easily be captured by her beauty and not even realize Lady Shayou had already ripped the heart from their chest, their eyes captivated and caught in a haze of ethereal divinity.

Shivering, the bear submissive wondered just how many youkai had fallen into that exact same trap. Kitanya had thought the Lord and Prince of the West to be the most powerful youkai she had ever encountered, but after glimpsing Shayou, Kitanya thought she'd been wrong.

Eyes lowering, Kitanya bowed ever so slightly as the Lord and Lady of the West moved closer, but her ears remained ever open and attentive as the two InuYoukai passed by, neither giving even the barest of acknowledgements.

"You ask much of me and offer so little in return, Toga."

Head held high, only Inu no Taisho's eyes slanted in Shayou's direction. "You believe aiding your one and only son, the Heir of the Western Lands, to be of little value?"

Shayou's laugh was deceptively light. "Always so emotionally dramatic. It is a constant source of amazement that you continue to hold onto the Western Lands when you react in such ways."

Having heard worse from his mate's lips before, Inu no Taisho only grinned while leading his prickly mate down the corridors to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's rooms. Careful to speak without really saying anything that could be fully interpreted, the Lord of the West simply stated, "And yet this foolishly emotional InuDaiYoukai not only continues to control the West, but the land and it's inhabitants flourish under the yolk of my leadership. Are you not impressed by your chosen mate?"

" _Impressed?_ You believe such things would impress me?"

Now it was Inu no Taisho's turn to laugh. "Never, my mate. Never." The silence that followed sobered the Lord of the West as his thoughts once more turned towards his son and failing nephew. Not trusting a messenger for such an important mission, the Lord of the West had traveled himself to Shayou's floating Kingdom in the sky. He'd arrived in the dead of the night and gotten straight to the heart of the matter. For her part, Shayou had listened, eyes and face completely unreadable. Truly, the only time she'd allowed even a hint of emotion to pass was when he'd informed Shayou that Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had formed a true bond. Inu no Taisho had not needed to tell his mate what that meant and it was shortly after this revelation that the Lady of the West finally stood and without a word, left. Inu no Taisho had remained there, debating whether or not this was truly Shayou's answer, but soon enough, his exquisite mate returned and with a few clipped orders to her staff, the Lady of the West had turned to him and simply stated, "I am ready."

They'd traveled with haste and arrived back at the Western Palace shortly after the rising of the sun. Inu no Taisho needed little sleep and the lack of it the previous night was not what weighed on him at that moment. Glancing once more at his beautifully poisonous mate, the Lord of the West wondered if there was truly anything Shayou could do to aid them and if so, would she be willing to do it?

Not for the first time, Inu no Taisho found himself wondering at the intricacies that made up his mate. For those whom thought Sesshomaru cold, the Lord of the West could only say that they had never met his son's mother, Shayou. And yet it was the same coldness that the Lord of the West found so enthralling, knowing that he was the only living creature that had ever pulled even the barest hint of emotion from the lethal creature walking beside him. For it was in the throws of their rutting that Shayou truly shined. The same intensity the Lady of the West showed in her everyday life was channeled into those all too brief moments and it was truly something to behold.

But Inu no Taisho had no illusions as to why Shayou had accepted his proposal to mate. Shayou valued power above all else and despised weakness in almost any form. A firm believer in the sentiment that only the strong survive, his mate was heartless when it came to those whom she deemed too weak to aid. And that was perhaps what worried the Lord of the West the most. Would his mate see Inuyasha as simply a weak half-breed that was not worth saving? Moreover, would she see Sesshomaru's choice of mating a creature she deemed worthless, and the fact that he had formed a true bond with such a submissive, as an indication that her own son was not worth saving? For if she allowed Inuyasha to die, there could be little doubt that Sesshomaru would soon follow.

All this and more weighed heavily upon Inu no Taisho's heart. But there had been little choice in the matter. In the end, the coming moments would impact the fate of not only his family, but the whole of the Western Lands.

::::::::::

Sitting on the edge of their bed, Sesshomaru's clawed hand continued to work gently across Inuyasha's scalp, moving up to occasionally rub the base of a puppydog ear. He'd felt his mother's arrival not long ago and could feel her presence moving ever closer. Sesshomaru learned long ago that the less contact he had with the Lady of the West, the better. It was not that he did not respect his mother, for that was never the case. Shayou was more than a formidable opponent and incredibly lethal. It was from his mother's side of the family that Sesshomaru had gotten the poison that flowed so freely through his veins. Unfortunately, it wasn't just physical but emotional poison that side of his family offered. Not for the first time did Sesshomaru wonder how his father could continue to see his mother and have any type of affection for the Lady of the West.

"S-Sesshomaru?"

Attention immediately on his mate, Sesshomaru's fingers briefly stopped before starting their soothing motions once more. Making sure to keep his golden eyes soft, the Prince of the West stared down into Inuyasha's dull amber eyes.

Tongue swollen and mouth feeling full of sand, Inuyasha struggled to speak. "W-what's goin' on?"

"Do you not remember what happened before?"

Flinching, Inuyasha nodded his head. "Yeah . . . but . . . shit, can I get some water?"

Rising, Sesshomaru poured a glass of cool water and brought it back to the bed. Setting the water aside, Sesshomaru reached around Inuyasha and pulled his mate up enough so that he was now leaning back against a mound of pillows. Only when he was satisfied his hanyou could swallow without choking did Sesshomaru hand over the water.

With shaking hands and arms, Inuyasha brought the blessed liquid to his lips and drank heavily. When there was nothing left, he sighed before handing the empty cup over.

"Do you require more?"

"No, but thanks." Leaning back, Inuyasha's eyes fluttered closed for a moment, the act of simply raising a cup of water to his lips more draining than he could have imagined. "Fuck, I'm tired." Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha's eyes opened then narrowed with the memories of the previous night. Soon enough he turned his accusing eyes on his mate, his mouth opening to begin telling Sesshomaru exactly how he could go to hell. But Sesshomaru's words halted his own.

"I know you have much you wish to say, but there is little time. The Lady of the West is within the Palace and on her way here."

Mind struggling to keep up with this new information, Inuyasha frowned. "You mean you mother?"

Eyes momentarily flashing toward the doorway, Sesshomaru nodded. "Lady Shayou is indeed my mother. Father went to get her last night to see if she could provide a means that you might be able to bear the pup you now carry without it destroying you."

Fresh anger swept through Inuyasha like fire. "I don't need any help keepin' my pup alive. Just 'cause I'm a half-breed – "

"Enough! You know well that I care not that you are hanyou. It is not that I doubt your lack of strength nor your will to do what must be done. In this situation there are simple facts and the facts are that, at your age, your youkai is not yet strong enough to survive and support the life growing within you. If you had mated a lesser youkai, then perhaps that would not be the case, but you did not mate thusly. You mated the Prince of the West, one of the most powerful youkai to ever walk the earth. It is not vanity or pride that I say this, simply fact." Leaning forward, Sesshomaru placed his forehead on Inuyasha's, both of his hands coming up to cup his mate's face. "Do you not yet understand? It is my seed that is draining the life from your body. It is my doing - my fault that you are in such a condition as this. If nothing is done – you will die. This Sesshomaru will never accept that as an option."

Eyes lowered, Inuyasha felt his heart painfully squeeze. While he understood what Sesshomaru was saying, he simply couldn't do what his mate truly wanted and end the life of the pup growing inside of him. Didn't Sesshomaru understand? Didn't his mate know that one of the main reasons he could not do that was because this _was_ Sesshomaru's pup? How was he supposed to kill something that was a part of his mate? "Sessh – "

"Shh."

Mouth closing, Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru's grip upon his cheeks tighten before the powerful aura of two youkai entered their rooms. One was very familiar, while the other had hints of familiarity to it, but at the same time, the hanyou knew it belonged to a youkai he'd never truly met.

Pulling away, Sesshomaru stoically stood and faced the door, mokomoko wrapping possessively around the back of his hanyou's shoulders. Golden eyes sharp, the Prince of the West gave a bow when the door to their rooms slid open, the Lady of the West easily gliding into the room, an emotionless, "Sesshomaru," falling from her lips.

Standing to full height, Sesshomaru inclined his head and responded, "Mother." Eyes intent upon the Lady of the West, Sesshomaru gave his father the same curt greeting.

Following his mate into the room, Inu no Taisho stood, keeping a discrete distance from Shayou, not that he thought his mate actually cared if he was there.

Moving a little further into the room, Shayou's intense eyes took in the contents, the cold, indifferent look on her face never wavering as she stated, "I see you have decided to change the contents of your rooms. The change is less than agreeable, but they are your rooms and your choice."

Lying back in the bed, Inuyasha's eyes widened marginally, his own impression of the Lady of the West closely mirroring what Kitanya's had been. While the female standing before him was nothing short of breathtaking, she was also deadly and Inuyasha had no doubt Sesshomaru's mother would not hesitate to kill whatever stood in her way – painfully.

Ignoring his mother's remark, Sesshomaru turned to his father. "I hope your trip was uneventful."

"It was." Wrestling with a smirk, Inu no Taisho knew well that his son was fishing for a distraction. Unfortunately for all of them, they didn't have time for such things. "I have informed Shayou about the current circumstances we find ourselves in as well as their implications."

Turning his head, Sesshomaru looked once more at his mother, ill at ease to find that her gaze seemed to be solely occupied by Inuyasha. Tightening mokomoko, Sesshomaru dared to ask, "And what is the Lady of the West's answer?"

The silence that ensued was discomforting, but perhaps not nearly as discomforting as when Shayou finally spoke. "Sesshomaru, I will speak with your mate – alone."

Sesshomaru's response was to snarl. "You ask for too much, mother."

"On the contrary, it is you whom is asking something of this Lady. The choice is yours. You can either leave me alone to speak with the half-breed or I can leave."

Hands curling into fists, Sesshomaru was battling his emotions and knew his mother would only see such actions as weakness. He'd already lost control once and to do so again would be seen as an insult by the Lady of the West.

Internally battling, Sesshomaru was saved by his mate when Inuyasha's voice, much stronger than it should have been, cut through the room. "It's fine, Sesshomaru. You can leave me with the bitch."

At the word, Lady Shayou's countenance moved not an inch while Inu no Taisho laughed and Sesshomaru relaxed. In youkai society, the term _bitch_ was more description than insult, but knowing Inuyasha's upbringing in human society, none there doubted the manner in which he meant the word. Perhaps Sesshomaru should have seen Inuyasha's choice of words as alarming, but instead, all the InuYoukai could feel was a sense of relief. His hanyou was wise enough to understand that the creature within their room was a potentially deadly threat and yet he showed none of his fear. In that moment, Sesshomaru felt intense pride.

Looking down at his mate, Sesshomaru let his pleasure pour through the intensity of his gaze. "I will be outside should you require anything."

Nodding, Inuyasha swallowed thickly. Both of them knew that if Lady Shayou wanted, he would never have the opportunity to think about calling for help, let alone actually voice such a sentiment. "I've faced worse."

Sesshomaru wasn't sure if that was true or not, but if it was, he would need to re-evaluate his admiration for his mate. Giving a final gentle squeeze of mokomoko, Sesshomaru's fur reluctantly released Inuyasha. Turning from his mate, the Prince of the West strode forward, never once looking back at his hanyou for fear that he would not have the strength to leave him there alone. Shoulder to shoulder with his mother, Sesshomaru's voice was low, his tenor arctic in its determination. "Should Inuyasha come to harm, you will not survive the day."

Face expressionless as usual, Shayou's golden eyes shifted ever so slightly toward her son. "You believe this Lady would fall so easily?"

"No. But nevertheless, you will, for this Sesshomaru will have nothing left to lose."

"And you believe the anticipation of death will stay my hand?"

Again, Sesshomaru's answer was a simple, "No," before walking out the door, Inu no Taisho following closely behind.

Left alone, Shayou took a few moments, her senses open and searching. When she was certain she was well and truly alone with her son's mate, the Lady of the West finally turned her attention to Inuyasha. "It is not surprising to learn that Tsuyoshi laid with a human female."

Lying in the bed, furs bunched at his waist, Inuyasha cocked his head, his ears swiveling slightly back as he contemplated not only the words but also the emotionless tone they were said with. Unsure if it was an insult or not, the hanyou thought it safe to assume it probably was. "You would know better than me. Seems my father went off and got himself killed before I was even born. Didn't even know who he was until a few months ago."

Shayou made a small noise that could have been interpreted as a huff of annoyance. "Unsurprising. Tsuyoshi had the capacity to become stronger than Toga, but he lacked the will to do so. At one time, I considered mating him instead, but the weakness of Tsuyoshi's will was . . . disappointing." Delicately slippered feet soundlessly pacing across the floor, Shayou closed the distance separating her from the hanyou. "And you, Inuyasha, how strong is your will I wonder?"

"-Keh," Inuyasha chuffed, his eyes never once leaving the deceptive beauty that was his mate's mother. "If ya want the answer to that, you should ask Sesshomaru."

"Indeed. Well, we shall see what kind of terms my son and I are on when this meeting comes to a close."

Not having heard Sesshomaru and Shayou's earlier conversation, Inuyasha was left to wonder what that meant exactly, but decided it best to let that one slide, for now. Frustrated that he was too weak to even stand while meeting Sesshomaru's mother for the first time, Inuyasha laid there, his clawed fingers pressing deeply into his flesh as what little energy he had began vanishing at an alarming rate. Inuyasha had never been one for small talk, or beating around the proverbial bush and at this moment, time certainly wasn't on his side. With that in mind, the hanyou blurted. "I'm guessin' you know I'm pregnant and that Sesshomaru wants to kill it. I'm also guessin' that you know what my answer has been to that particular idea."

"I am aware."

Eyes narrowing, Inuyasha looked sharply at the InuYoukai who'd birthed his mate. Shayou's answer had been irritatingly short and devoid of any form of emotion. Reading the Lady of the West was going to be more difficult than Sesshomaru had ever been. Shaking his head, Inuyasha let out a soft breath of air. There was only one way he could see to win this and playing verbal and mental mind games with a youkai as ancient and powerful as Shayou wasn't it. "Listen, I can probably guess what you think about your son matin' a half-breed and just so we're straight, I could give a shit about what you think of me personally. The only opinion I care about is Sesshomaru's and as crazy as I think it is, he don't seem to have a problem with it."

Raising a single silvery-white eyebrow, Shayou continued staring, her mouth little more than an apathetic line across her face. "You should measure your words more carefully, hanyou. Seeing as that Sesshomaru was desperate enough to send Toga to ask for my aid, my opinion of you should be at the foremost of your mind."

"Maybe, but I figure you've already formed an opinion about me before you even walked through that door." Rubbing his forehead with shaking fingers, Inuyasha could only sigh. "And seein' me layin' here in this fuckin' bed, too damn weak to even stand, ain't doin' nothin' to change that opinion. But as much as I'd like to change that, I can't. This situation is what it is so I'll work with whatever I've got left."

"And what is it that you believe you have left?"

Inuyasha could only laugh, the sound sad even to Shayou's ears. "What I always have, my stubborn refusal to give the fuck up." Leaning forward, Inuyasha felt the ache of his weary muscles. "Make no mistake, Lady, with or without you, I will find a way to survive this. It'd be nice and completely unexpected if you could help with that, but I ain't really expectin' a lot out of you. I've gotten through worse. This shit is just somethin' different than the usual crap life has thrown at me." Leaning back, Inuyasha briefly closed his eyes, waiting for the world to settle before opening them again, his amber orbs bright with conviction. "You wanna know what I have left? Me. It's all I had for most of my fuckin' life and I've somehow managed to survive everything else. I'll figure this out too."

"Do you really think so?"

"-Keh. I don't see how I've got much choice in the matter. It's either that or give up and die and I ain't about to do that."

"You seem so determined to live and yet you refuse the surest way to do so." Tilting her head, Shayou's long silvery-white locks of hair floated around a single shoulder. "Your choice is foolish. It is my understanding that you will one day be able to bear Sesshomaru's seed and produce a healthy pup with little risk to either of you. Why do you insist upon dying for this one?"

Hand skimming his abdomen, Inuyasha felt his other fist clench. "How can you ask me to kill a part of him?"

Shayou hid her surprise well and asked, "Whom?"

"Sesshomaru. This pup that's growin' inside of me, it's a part of Sesshomaru. How can you ask me to willingly destroy somethin' that's a part of your son? I can't do that." Sighing, Inuyasha felt his ears droop. "They think I don't understand what havin' a true-bond with Sesshomaru means. They've all been so fuckin' careful not to let me find out, but they forget that I hear better than a normal youkai. I know the risk I'm takin' here, not only with my own life but with that of Sesshomaru's."

Shayou was curious. Toga had told her that Inuyasha was ignorant to the implications of a true-bond mating, but that did not seem to be the case. The Lady of the West had thought her mate exceedingly foolish for keeping such a fact from the hanyou, but Toga had said it was Sesshomaru's wish. It seemed her son truly was smitten for Sesshomaru did not want to add such a burden to his mate's heart. Knowing that your death would inevitably lead to the insanity and death of the Heir of the Western Lands would indeed be a heavy burden, but if the half-breed wasn't strong enough to bear such a weight, then he was not worthy of being the submissive mate to her one and only son.

Hands fisting even tighter, Inuyasha felt his lips curl. "I can't seem to get it through their damn heads that I can handle shit. Both Sesshomaru and Lord Inu no Taisho seem to think I need protectin'. Stupid fucker's almost got me killed keepin' damn secrets. You'd think they'd learn."

Moving further into the room, Shayou lightly sat upon the edge of the bed, her figure serenely perched. "I have been mated to Toga for several centuries. Such decisions have always been a point of contention between the two of us. It is unfortunate to hear it is a trait Sesshomaru has embraced."

Eyes wide, Inuyasha stared at the intimidating Lady of the West as she serenely sat upon his bed. Silently watching, the hanyou began running his clawed fingers through the fur of his blankets, all the while wishing it was mokomoko he was petting.

Taking in the silent hum of the room, Shayou took a moment to really look at the changes her son had made to his rooms. Only centuries of practice kept the look of disgust from her face as she said, "I assume the changes to Sesshomaru's rooms were your doing."

Blinking, Inuyasha tried to wrap his tired brain around the change in discussion. "Huh? Oh, uh . . . well, kind of. Although, to be honest, I don't think Sesshomaru ever liked it to begin with."

Shayou felt the stab of that statement deep within her chest and hated herself for allowing such words to sting. "Sesshomaru seemed pleased when I saw to the furnishing of his private chambers."

But Inuyasha only huffed out a grunt. "Like he'd really tell you if he didn't like it." At Shayou's raised eyebrow, Inuyasha just shook his head. "Listen, all I know is that Sesshomaru told me his rooms were your doin' and that it never really felt like him. All I had to do was mention that we might wanna redecorate and he jumped on the idea."

Bitterness welled in Shayou's heart. At first, her anger sought out the impertinent hanyou lying nearly helpless within her son's bed, but being the Lady of the West, Shayou pushed her initial response to the side. She had spent decades blaming Toga and Sesshomaru for the distance that had formed between her and her only son. But that line of thinking had gained her nothing but sporadic rutting's with her mate and over four decades of not being able to lay eyes upon Sesshomaru. A century ago, if someone had told Shayou that she would regret earlier choices, that she would actually feel lonely, she would have sliced the tongue from their mouth and infused the rest of their body with poison.

Voice carefully devoid of her true feelings, Shayou asked, "And this new look, he is pleased with it?"

Reaching up a shaky hand, Inuyasha scratched the back of a twitching puppydog ear. "Yeah. He told me he finds it more relaxin' and that he actually likes comin' here to rest at the end of the day."

"I see." And for one of the first times in her life, Shayou thought that she really did see and what that sight told her was not easy to accept. Golden eyes fixed on a wall near the head of the bed, Shayou looked at her son's swords, Bakusaiga and Tokijen proudly lying within easy reach. Eyes widening ever so slightly, the Lady of the West finally noticed something she should have noticed upon first entering the room. "I thought Sesshomaru was unable to wield Tessaiga."

Eyes flicking to the side, Inuyasha followed Shayou's line of sight and smiled. "He can't, but evidently I can."

Mouth opening ever so slightly, Shayou took in a shallow breath. "You are able to transform the blade?"

"Yeah, funny story there. If I live through this shit, then maybe I'll have time to tell ya."

With the conversation heading back towards the hanyou's impending death, Shayou felt the tightness in her shoulder's return. "You speak of death casually."

Inuyasha only shrugged. "I ain't really afraid of death, at least, not for me. That don't mean I don't fight like hell to stay alive, it just means I don't fear it." Head down, Inuyasha's ears flattened into his hair. "I guess that ain't completely true now. I'm afraid of what my death will do to Sesshomaru. I should of told the jackass no when he asked me to be his mate. It would have been a lot safer for him."

"Safer . . . perhaps, but leading a safe life is not always living." Turning her head, Shayou's cold eyes stared down on her son's mate. "I believe you, more than any, understand the meaning of this."

Nodding, Inuyasha mumbled a half-assed, "Yeah, maybe."

Turning her head away, Shayou stared out the balcony doors, the sun further into the sky now and a warm glow illuminating the room. "Without my aid, you, your pup, and Sesshomaru will likely die. The West will be left with a grieving Lord and no heir. The vulture's will begin attacking and pick the Western Lands clean. There will be nothing left but crimson rocks and barren soil."

"I . . . " but Inuyasha had nothing to counter with.

"Even knowing all this, you still refuse the easy path. You will not allow the healer to remove this pup."

Drawing in a deep breath, Inuyasha lowered his head. "I . . . I can't. Even if I did, it wouldn't save me, not really. Knowing I couldn't protect my pup, part of Sesshomaru, that would kill me, it'd just be a hell of a lot slower."

"Stubborn fool," Shayou whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Probably," Inuyasha sighed.

"Very well."

Ears perking, Inuyasha raised his head, his fluttering heart hammering all the more violently within his chest. "What . . . what exactly does that mean?"

Head turning, Shayou smiled and easily noted the shiver of revulsion the action sent through the hanyou. But Inuyasha's reaction only made Shayou's smile all the brighter. "I will give you what aid I can. I am not offering any promises that it will be successful, but if your will is truly as determined as you state, then there is a fair chance both you and your pup will survive both the pregnancy and birth." Tongue peaking out, Shayou licked her lips, a single fang coming perilously close to drawing blood. "Of course, my aid is not without conditions."

Inuyasha felt the blood drain from his face. "Of course not, although, I don't know what in the hell I really have that you'd want."

"What you have, Inuyasha; is my son and any future heirs."

Confused, Inuyasha's ears twitched. "I don't understand."

Throwing a glance around the room, Shayou's hand swept out and followed the action. "My son is a stranger to me. Power comes with a price and I now find that price to be too high. Sesshomaru does not want me in his life and will desire my presence in his offspring's lives even less. Once, it was because he feared me. If that were still the case, then I might be able to live with it. But Sesshomaru has grown enough in power that he no longer fears me. Instead, my son is indifferent to my very existence." Standing, Shayou paced to the wall with both her son's and Inuyasha's swords. "I had to hear second hand that he had finally taken a mate and had you not had complications with your pregnancy, I've no doubt that I would have been told nothing about your condition. The situation is no longer acceptable."

Eyes wide, Inuyasha wasn't sure what exactly Shayou was asking of him. "I can't make Sesshomaru like you or even wanna speak with ya. And I sure as shit ain't gonna go behind his back and tell ya stuff he doesn't want you to know. I ain't gonna be your spy."

"If you would have offered to do such, your blood would already be staining the white fur you cling so desperately to."

Swallowing hard, with all the light talk, Inuyasha had almost forgotten that Lady Shayou was first, and foremost, a deadly youkai. "Oh . . . well, I guess that's good then. So, uh . . . what is it you're askin' me to do?"

"Only what you already seem adept at doing. You see, Inuyasha, when you are a youkai of my power and station, it is a rare thing for another to freely speak their mind. Even Toga choses his words carefully when we are together. Centuries of being told what other's believe I want to hear has led me to my current situation. I ask only that you speak to me as you have today – honestly. You will tell me the truth about who my son is. You will tell me of your offspring so that I might know the real beings they grow into. That is my condition for aiding you."

"That's it?" God's above, Inuyasha just couldn't believe it would be that easy.

"You speak as if what I am asking is something simple, but I assure you, for most, it would be a nearly impossible condition to uphold."

"Good thing I ain't like _most_ out there."

"No, I believe that is true."

"I can't guarantee that what I tell ya will always be pleasant. As a matter of fact, most likely a bunch of stuff you wanna know ain't gonna be pretty to hear."

"As expected."

Head tilted slightly, Inuyasha thought things over and finally asked, "Do I need to bring Tessaiga with me every time I have to tell ya somethin' that might piss ya off?"

For the first time in untold years, Shayou felt lightness touch her heart, easing some of the pain she'd been carrying. "I will do my best to control my temper. It would do me little good to cease our arrangement in such a thoughtless moment of rage."

"-Keh, don't worry, I think Sesshomaru's got enough of you in him to find some kind of common ground."

Moving back towards the bed, Shayou fought the smile threatening her lips. "So, are we of an understanding?"

"Fuck. Yeah, if you really think there's somethin' you can do to help, then we got a deal."

Allowing the smile to grace her face, Shayou nodded once. "Well then, hanyou, I will see what I can do to keep you all on this side of the vale, at least for a little while longer." Decision made, Shayou turned on her heel, the silks of her kimono flowing around her body like shimmering water. Reaching the door, Shayou stopped; making sure her face was its normal blank and emotionless mask before sliding the structure to the side. Voice returning to its frigid tenor, the Lady of the West declared, "I will inform Sesshomaru and return shortly. Do not die in the interim."

Mouth hanging open, Inuyasha could only stare at the closed door. Teeth gritted, the hanyou thought about the injustice in the world. Oh, how he wished he had some fucked up in-laws for Sesshomaru to meet. Maybe then the bastard would understand what it felt like to be subjected to all this crazy shit.

 _So, how did you like Shayou? I have to admit, I had a good time writing her parts. She's definitely a tough nut to crack but I think Inuyasha's got her number. You'll have to wait until next chapter to see just what she has planned and if it works._

 _I need to take a moment to credit Buffy the Vampire Slayer (t.v. series) for the idea of when Shayou asks Inuyasha what he has left and he answers, "Me." For the Buffy fans out there, you'll know what moment that came from. All these years later and I have always remembered that particular moment from the show. Sometimes, when I feel like I don't have anyone out there to back me up, I pull up that memory and think, "Yeah, that's what I've got too." Some days it's enough, some it isn't, but it is food for thought._

 _Chaos gets midweek update this time around, so you'll have to wait until next Sunday for update. Oh, and for those of you reading the Chaos story - no promises, but I may try and get next chapter up tomorrow night instead of Tuesday morning. Tuesday is turning into a bit of a clusterfuck and if I can get it done on Monday, it would be better all the way around._

 _Until next time, have a good week. For those of you in the U.S. I hope you get tomorrow off for Labor Day._

 _lunamist_


	26. Chapter 26

_Good afternoon to everyone. Thank you for all the reviews on the last chapter. I'm glad so many of you liked Shayou and her personality. Some of you guessed right regarding just how she's going to help. Kouga doesn't show back up yet, but I think maybe the next chapter he does. If not then, then the one after (I think we've only got about 3 more chapters after this one). As an FYI, this chapter is on the shorter side, but the remaining 3 much longer each._

 _Posting this one a little earlier today because I could :-)_

 _Chapter 26 . . ._

Sequestered in the hall outside he and Inuyasha's rooms, Sesshomaru was unable to move any further away from his mate while the hanyou was alone with the Lady of the West. Still as stone, Sesshomaru's golden eyes never once wavered from the door leading to his mate. By his side, Inu no Taisho paced, his mind wandering over what on earth Shayou could be saying to his nephew and even more important, what Inuyasha was saying in return. Heaving a big sigh, all Inu no Taisho knew they could do was wait, something neither he nor his son was very adept at doing.

Gaze fixed upon Sesshomaru, Inu no Taisho perked to attention when he saw his son's eyes narrow right before he took a step forward, the action quickly halted by Shayou's hollow voice. "We must speak before returning to the half-breed."

Inu no Taisho didn't like the flash of red that raced through Sesshomaru's eyes. What he disliked more was the furry lacing his son's voice as he answered, "You would seek to keep this Sesshomaru from his mate even longer?"

Now equal to the two male Inu's, Shayou looked completely nonplussed. "You've no right to demand anything of me, my son, not when you are asking for my aid."

Interrupting the ensuing growl, Inu no Taisho stepped between his mate and his son. Never once had either Sesshomaru or the Lord of the West scented even the hint of Inuyasha's blood or the sweet stench of Shayou's poison. Taking that as a good sign that his nephew had survived Shayou's visit, Inu no Taisho dared to hope as he asked, "You have come to a decision?"

Eyes shifting toward her mate, Shayou gave the slightest inclination of her head. "I have." Attention once more fixated upon her son, Shayou's golden eyes were piercing. "I make no promises that my aid will be sufficient, but I will do what I can."

Behind him, mokomoko twitched, the fur mirroring Sesshomaru's unease. Although he was tempted to feel relief at his mother's words, the Prince of the West knew that nothing came without a price when it came to the Lady of the West. "And the cost of such aid?"

Unfazed, Shayou simply turned, her feet already heading back to where her son's mate lay. "The cost was agreed upon by Inuyasha. If you wish to ask him of it later, he will tell you the truth of it himself." Pausing, Shayou turned her head ever so slightly. "You have chosen an interesting and rather unique mate, Sesshomaru. Had you chosen any other, they would have been incapable of performing the task I requested."

Smiling, Inu no Taisho quietly chuckled while marveling at his mate. Shayou's unpredictability was part of her undeniable charm – at least, in the eyes of the Lord of the West.

Despite Shayou's words, Sesshomaru was still uneasy about Inuyasha agreeing to whatever conditions his mother had set forth. "Inuyasha's health is not conducive to whatever you have asked of him. Whatever it is he has promised, I will take responsibility."

Continuing forward, Shayou never looked back as she answered a decisive, "Impossible. What I have asked of your mate is something only he is capable of providing. You are too much my own son to be able to do so." Hand upon the sliding door, Shayou finally turned, that same rare smile as earlier gracing her face. "Perhaps, in time, you will be able to share in the responsibility that Inuyasha has agreed to. In fact, I am counting on that being the case, my son."

Although his reaction to Shayou's unusual smile was less dramatic than Inuyasha's, Sesshomaru felt the same sense of unease and displeasure with the rare movement. Unsure exactly how to comment, Sesshomaru chose to remain silent as he followed his mother through the door.

Once inside, Sesshomaru eagerly went to Inuyasha's side, mokomoko wrapping around his hanyou and pulling his mate close. Leaning forward, Sesshomaru drew the soothing scent of his mate deep into his lungs, allowing it to relax and clear his mind. Bending even closer, the Prince of the West whispered, "Are you well?"

Shivering at the feel of Sesshomaru's warm breath across the fur of a puppydog ear, Inuyasha relaxed into mokomoko, pleased that the fur he so loved was once again wrapped around his body and surrounding him in Sesshomaru's intoxicating scent. "Me? I'm fuckin' peachy."

Smiling against Inuyasha's face, Sesshomaru pulled back only to have the happiness he'd just experienced drain into a hollow abyss. Taking the time to fully evaluate his mate, Sesshomaru was disturbed to note Inuyasha's color had worsened in the time he'd been gone. Also, his hanyou's heartbeat was threadier; his breathing more shallow and labored. Speaking with Shayou had drained Inuyasha of what little youkai reserves his mate had. "I should not have left you."

"-Keh, I'll be fine. Besides, I think it went okay . . . maybe."

Staring into Inuyasha's eyes, Sesshomaru was at a loss as to what his mate was really thinking and finally figured out it was because his hanyou was also confused. Knowing Inuyasha was deteriorating by the minute, Sesshomaru pulled away enough to look at his mother. "If you are truly willing to offer aid, then I can find no reason to delay."

Shifting the heavy folds of her kimono to the side, Shayou reached into a hidden pocket, her delicate fingers wrapping around a stone of the deepest amethyst. Pulling out the shimmering object, the Lady of the West moved closer to the bed-ridden hanyou.

Eyes locked on the object in Shayou's hand, Inuyasha's lids narrowed. "What the fuck is that thing?"

Again, Shayou was both taken aback and pleased by the half-breed's disrespectful, yet frank question. "This is a stone my grandmother used in some of her . . . less desirable, pursuits."

Muttering a quite, "Shit," Inuyasha looked back to Sesshomaru. "Is that more of this sorcery crap? 'Cause I gotta tell ya right here and now that I'm not lettin' that thing anywhere near my pup."

Sesshomaru shared Inuyasha's unease but not his immediate denial. Keeping Inuyasha near, Sesshomaru asked his mother, "What function does it serve?"

Shifting ever closer, Shayou held the stone at arms length, her eyes intent upon Inuyasha. "Staying away from youkai sorcery is indeed wise, but in this case, what I am proposing is fairly innocuous when used in the manner I suggest."

Still unsure, Inuyasha stared at the beautiful gem like it was about to shoot lightening bolts straight into his heart. Seeing his mate's continued hesitance, Sesshomaru stated, "You have still not informed us of its use."

Pulling the stone back into her chest, Shayou stared at the brilliant shades of purple and lavender that shimmered deep within its depths. All the while, the Lady of the West's mind traveled elsewhere, to an ancient InuYoukai woman who'd taken her deep within caverns and hillsides that no one else was privy to. In her mind, Shayou saw both horrors and wonders, the two often intertwining into visions of disturbing beauty. Yes, her grandmother was reckless and dangerous, but she'd also been doting and brilliant. Beauty, as they say, is often in the eye of the beholder, and Shayou would never be able to deny that the abominations her grandmother formed held such to the youkai who'd created them.

Pushing away the memories, Shayou's eyes became focused once more. "My grandmother used the stone to transfer a part of her own youkai into the things she created. She used that energy to temporarily lend more power to the recipient."

Within mokomoko's grasp, Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha shiver, the implications of Shayou's words clear. Undoubtedly, Sesshomaru's great-grandmother had used the stone within his mother's hand to fuel the abominations she'd created through the use of sorcery. "You would ask me to use such an object on my mate?"

Lifting her head, Shayou did not rise to the disgusted tone of voice her son had used. "The stone itself is only what it is. It is not a thing of evil but merely the tool to create evil." Moving ever closer, Shayou held the stone out once more. "But in this case, I believe the stone can be used to save both Inuyasha and your pup." Raising her gaze, Shayou looked directly into the eyes of her son. "It is my understanding that your mate is too young, that Inuyasha's youkai is not strong enough yet to be able to support your growing seed. If this is the only impediment to the development and survival of both your mate and pup, then this stone is the answer you seek. With relative ease, it can be used to transfer your own youkai energy into Inuyasha. As stated before, the transfer is temporary and will need to be repeated. I know not how often or how much it will drain you, my son, but in theory, this should be the answer. Of course, the decision is your own."

Attention shifting from the stone to his mate, Sesshomaru was a little surprised to see Inuyasha's clawed fingers, as shaky as they were, traveling toward Shayou's hand and the amethyst gem it contained.

Licking his dry lips, Inuyasha felt the edges of his claws scrape against the side of the stone. "Are . . . are there any, uh . . . are there any consequences? I mean, is there anything bad that can come of this?"

"I myself do not practice sorcery and can not claim there may not be risks. To my knowledge, the largest risk would be to Sesshomaru as we are uncertain as to how much youkai your own body requires to feed the life growing within you. Perhaps Norim would know better than I, but I believe that if the pup were given another source of energy, then your body would be able to use your own natural reserves to support your own health. If that is the case, then given Sesshomaru's age and youkai reserves, I find it difficult to believe that he would be overly or even dangerously taxed."

Having remained silent, Inu no Taisho finally strode forward, his own eyes fixed upon the shimmering stone. "We would need to keep this as quiet as possible. If it got out that not only Inuyasha was weakened, but that Sesshomaru wasn't up to his full strength, others will see it as a most adventitious time."

Sesshomaru agreed. "The success of such a ploy will be dependent upon how much of my youkai the pup requires." Looking at Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru added, "Norim would need to be informed and in so doing, Masaru also. As much as it pains me, given that this is sorcery, involving the monk would also be wise."

Gripping mokomoko tighter, Inuyasha stared up at Sesshomaru, his amber eyes both worried and hopeful as he asked, "You sure about this?"

Sesshomaru took a moment to consider their options before nodding. "I believe it to be a viable option."

Worrying his bottom lip between his fangs, Inuyasha looked back to the stone. "Even if it's sorcery?"

"As the Lady of the West said, the stone itself is neither good nor evil, but it can do either depending upon the one using it. In our hands, its use will be far from ill."

Sucking in a deep and shaking breath, Inuyasha pulled his determination around him like a cloak. "Okay then. We'll also need to tell Kitanya."

Shayou's eyes narrowed. "A servant?"

"-Keh, Kitanya's a hell of a lot more than a servant."

Reaching out, Inu no Taisho laid the palm of his hand against the small of Shayou's waist. "Inuyasha is right. Kitanya owes him a life-debt and can be trusted. We'll need a servant to bring them both food as well as clean and keep their rooms. Lady Kitanya already see's to Inuyasha's needs and it would be no stretch if she began seeing more to Sesshomaru's as well."

Shayou found it difficult that a servant could thusly be trusted, but if the bear submissive owed a life-debt to the hanyou, then it was possible. Besides, the more familiar she became with her son's mate, the easier it was to understand why, despite being a half-breed, Inuyasha inspired such loyalty. "Very well, it is your decision whom you trust."

Inuyasha was fairly certain he trusted Kitanya a hell of a lot more than the Lady of the West, but wisely kept that particular thought to himself.

Without turning away from his mate, Sesshomaru quietly called, "Jaken," and seemingly from nowhere, the little kappa came tottering in, his beak-like nose immediately hitting the floor.

"You called my prince."

Ignoring the whining tone, Sesshomaru never once looked at his servant. "Bring Lady Kitanya, the healer Norim and his mate, Masaru as well as the lecherous monk here immediately."

Without question, Jaken turned on his heel and raced from the room. Leaning back into the fur wrapped around his body, Inuyasha wondered (not for the first time), how and why Jaken seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all at the same time.

With little more to do, Inuyasha allowed his eyelids to close, safely tucked within mokomoko, the hanyou allowed his exhausted body what little rest he could as they all silently waited for Jaken to return.

::::::::::

Miroku shifted his weight to the opposite sandaled foot, his eyes fixed upon the gleaming stone centered over Inuyasha's abdomen. Although the monk understood why he'd been called, Miroku was at a loss as to how exactly he was expected to help. Given his spiritual powers, he was able to detect and dispel most acts of sorcery, but he could do little else. Since he was not here to detect a hidden source of sorcery, it would make sense that he was present to try and ensure that if something went wrong, the threat could be contained. The problem with that was that Miroku was fairly certain that doing so would not only kill Inuyasha, but severely injure Sesshomaru as well.

With such thoughts in mind, Miroku let out a deep breath while reaching a foot back to rub a particularly itchy spot on the back of his calf. Eyes briefly closing, the monk sent up an extra prayer to Buddha that his services would not be needed and that he would be given yet another opportunity to try and woo the Lady Sango.

Standing on the opposite side of the bed, Norim was having similar thoughts as he desperately tried to keep a read on both Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's individual youkai as well as the pup they were attempting to transfer energy to. Having never participated in something of this nature, the healer wasn't sure if there was anything else he should be doing to try and make the procedure as safe as possible. Already uneasy that sorcery was playing any part in this, Norim desperately tried to push his unease into the furthest recesses of his mind. Being unsure was the surest way to make a mistake and the healer was determined that he would do his best by his princes.

Brow heavy with perspiration, Norim was struggling to keep at his task. Seeing his mate's struggle, Masaru shifted closer, laying the palm of his hand upon the small of Norim's back. And just as simple as that, Norim felt his nerves calm with both the soothing feel and scent of his true-mate. Focus returned, the healer's hands shifted as he took in the intricacies of the energy transfer. Eyebrows going up, Norim felt his mouth open in surprise.

Attention fixed upon not only his son and nephew, but Norim's reactions as well, Inu no Taisho did not miss the change in the healer's facial features and questioned, "Norim, is something wrong?"

Head rapidly shaking from side to side, the glow surrounding Norim's hands shown all the brighter. "No. In fact, at this point, it seems to be going exceedingly well."

Inuyasha didn't really need to hear Norim's confirmation to know that something was working. They'd only started the energy transfer a few moments ago and already he felt better. It was no longer the struggle of his life just to keep his eyelids open and the weighted feeling his limbs had been suffering from was beginning to lift. Staring down at where Sesshomaru's clawed fingers hovered over the amethyst stone sitting atop the flesh of his belly, Inuyasha dared to hope. Still, the hanyou was worried about what this was doing to his mate. "You okay, Sesshomaru?"

Head tilting ever so slightly, Sesshomaru allowed the barest hint of a smile to cross his lips. "You need not concern yourself with me."

Inuyasha frowned. "You're my mate. I'll always be concerned about you."

Leaning forward, Sesshomaru licked a delicate line up Inuyasha's jaw before answering, "So you shall. Forgive me for speaking so casually."

Flushed from such attention in front of so many, Inuyasha turned his head to the side, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes. "-Keh, you don't gotta be so affectionate in front of everyone."

Far from perturbed, Sesshomaru repeated his earlier action, only pulling away when Inuyasha's flush turned into a full on blush. Returning his attention to his task, Sesshomaru looked to Norim. "How do we know when it is sufficient?"

At first, Norim had been wondering the same thing, but as he'd been monitoring all three of his patient's youkai energies, he was beginning to understand how both the deficiency and ensuing balance felt. In truth, Norim thought there had almost been enough transfer and was beginning to answer, "I think it is almost enough," when the glowing stone suddenly muted, it's color returning to the brilliant purple and lavender hues that had been present before activating the transfer.

In unison, all eyes turned to look at the evidently inactive stone. Inuyasha was the first to ask, "Is it supposed to do that?"

Gliding forward, Shayou only gave a delicate shrug of her shoulders. "I am unaware. I only saw my grandmother use it a handful of times. I had assumed that she consciously ended the energy transfer, but perhaps that was not the case."

Gripping the stone within the palm of his hand, Sesshomaru pulled the gem to his chest as he continued staring at it. "Is it possible the stone is the determining factor as to how much energy is transferred."

"To know for certain, we would need to find a sorcerer to question," Shayou answered.

Sesshomaru's grip upon the stone tightened. "I know of only one sorcerer and when next we meet, he will not have the opportunity to share such wisdom before I rend his flesh from his bones."

Inuyasha shivered at the coldness in Sesshomaru's voice but was brought out of his thoughts when his mate's tone changed to something much more gentle as Sesshomaru questioned, "How are you feeling?"

Sitting up a little further, Inuyasha took a moment to analyze his body before smiling enough to show fang. "Good. No, better than good. I ain't sayin' that I feel the same as before I went and got myself knocked up, but I think this is gonna work." Barely had those words passed through his lips when the room was filled with the growl of Inuyasha's stomach. Freshly embarrassed, Inuyasha scratched behind a puppydog ear. "Guess now that I'm feelin' better, my stomach's complainin'."

Standing off to the side and out of the way, Kitanya sprang to action. "I'll fetch something immediately."

"You don't gotta –"

"Let the servant bring you food, half-breed." Golden eyes glinting, Shayou asked, "Is that not the purpose of her knowing the truth?"

Eyes rolling, Inuyasha could do little more than shake his head before looking to Sesshomaru. "Is your mom where you get this holier than thou shit?"

"Inuyasha," Miroku hissed, only for his mouth to slam shut when he heard the rare, tinkling sound of Shayou's laughter.

Ignoring the sudden, deathly silent room, Shayou moved forward, her hands neatly folded in front of her. "You do a rare thing, young half-breed. You please me. I believe you will be able to hold to our agreement better than I had hoped."

Placing the amethyst stone in a nearby drawer, Sesshomaru returned to his mate's side, the look on his face difficult to discern. "Inuyasha, you will tell this Sesshomaru what it is you promised the Lady of the West in return for her aid."

Waving a hand of dismissal, Inuyasha grunted, "We can talk about it later." Then, locking his eyes with those of the Lady of the West, Inuyasha added, "I don't think it's gonna be a problem though."

More pleased than she'd been in decades and perhaps even centuries, Shayou simply inclined her head toward her son's mate before sharply turning, the swish of her silk kimono the only sound echoing through the room as the Lady of the West began making her way toward the door. Halting her movements, Shayou's gaze never left the door as she called, "Toga."

Immediately perking, Inu no Taisho answered, "Yes, Shayou."

"It has been far too long since you rutted me within the Western Lands."

With those few short words, Inu no Taisho felt heat rush through his body, settling deep within his growing cock. "Truer words were never spoken, my mate."

Saying not a single syllable more, Shayou began walking again, easily sliding the door open and walking out.

Smirk firmly planted on his face, Inu no Taisho looked to his son and nephew. "Inuyasha, I'm glad to see you feeling better. We will speak of the details later. But for now, the Lady of the West demands servicing and as always, I am at the whim of my lovely mate." Far less graceful, Inu no Taisho fairly dashed from the room, his furs flying behind him as he hurried after his mate.

Silently contemplative, those left behind blankly stared at the retreating figure of the Lord of the West. Staff tilting to the side, the metal rings of Miroku's staff broke the silence before the soft chuckles of the monk followed. "Well, it is good to have such a healthy appetite towards one's mate, especially after all these years."

Shifting uncomfortably within their bed, Inuyasha grunted out some form of noncommittal agreement while Sesshomaru said nothing, his face a blank mask of seeming indifference.

Not entirely comfortable with the situation, Norim wanted little more than to be alone with his mate and to accomplish that, he needed to leave. "Inuyasha, Prince Sesshomaru, do you require Masaru and mine's presence any longer?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered, his voice as emotionless as his face. "I will send either Jaken or Kitanya should we have further need of you."

Bowing low, Norim reached back for his mate's hand only to have Masaru tug him, his body fitting snuggly under Masaru's broad arm. With Norim close, Masaru also finally spoke. "It need not be said, yet I shall do so anyway. In no way shall any ever learn this from either my or Norim's lips. We are now and always will be at the West's disposal. You have but to ask." With nothing further to say, Masaru pulled Norim even closer, his mate's feet leaving the planked flooring as he was carried from the room.

Sighing dramatically, Miroku absently rubbed the back of his head. "Seems like everyone but me will be getting a little action tonight. How can it be that I am left alone?" Turning, Miroku's smile stretched widely across his face, squinting his eyes. "I don't suppose the two of you would like a little company – "

"Leave."

Far from surprised or startled by the level of coldness in Sesshomaru's voice, Miroku simply sighed again before hanging his head. "No? Well, I didn't think so, but thought it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"Should you ask something so foolish again, it will most definitely hurt in the future."

Swallowing, Miroku nodded before bowing. "Well then, if there is nothing further – "

"There is not."

"Okay, then I will also take my leave." Giving a genuine smile at the hanyou, Miroku added, "You can also count on my discretion, Inuyasha. And, might I add, I am ever so pleased that you are feeling better and even more pleased that you will soon give us another princeling to one day rule the West."

Still huddled deep within mokomoko's softness, Inuyasha did little more than blink at the monk before Miroku too had left their rooms. Still staring at the closed door, the hanyou shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if that idiot is tryin' to die or somethin'."

Ignoring the statement regarding Miroku, Sesshomaru eased his body into the bed, pulling his mate into the protection of his arms. "Are you truly well?"

Shifting into a slightly better position, Inuyasha scoffed. "Well, besides feelin' half starved, yeah, I'd say I'm doin' okay." Leaning back, the hanyou tilted his head so he could look into Sesshomaru's eyes. "Thank you."

Eyebrows going up, Sesshomaru's clawed fingers began gently carding through Inuyasha's hair. "You have nothing to thank this Sesshomaru for."

"That ain't true." Blowing out a deep breath, Inuyasha laid his head against Sesshomaru's chest. "You could of . . . you could of just . . . just done what ya wanted and killed our pup. As much as I hate it, I wouldn't have been able to stop ya. But you didn't. Instead, you asked for your scary as shit mom's help. I'm not sure what all is between you, but I know that wasn't easy for you to do."

Hand momentarily stopping its motion, Sesshomaru quickly resumed the calming movements. "I would do anything within my power to assure your safety. Requesting the Lady of the West's aid is but one of those things." Resting his chin between two puppydog ears, Sesshomaru gazed out the door leading to their balcony. "Shayou's assistance is not without consequences. Will you tell me what it is you agreed to?"

Inuyasha couldn't help but fidget, squirming a little before finally settling enough to answer. "I think your mom is lonely."

Freezing, Sesshomaru paused before answering a decisive, "Impossible."

"Well, as _impossible_ as you think it is, I still think it's the truth. But regardless, in answer to your question, she just asked that I tell her stuff about you and whatever pups we have. Not like secret stuff, 'cause I told her flat out I wasn't about to spy on you and shit. Weirdly enough, she seemed happy about that."

"I am uncertain I understand. What exactly does my mother wish to know?"

Shrugging within Sesshomaru's embrace, Inuyasha answered, "I guess what every mother does. Shayou seems to want to know who you really are; what you like, what you don't, what pisses you off and what makes your life worth livin'."

Sesshomaru could hardly wrap his mind around such things. To his knowledge, his mother had always been frigid, even by his own standards. Lady Shayou viewed emotion and sentimentality as nothing short of weakness. To believe what Inuyasha was saying was . . . difficult. "I am still uncertain this is her true motive, but regardless, her aid has proven useful and I shall be willing to pay whatever price my mother demands to ensure you not only live, but thrive. Should Lady Shayou wish to know what makes this Sesshomaru happy, she need look no further than his mate."

Snuggling in even closer, Inuyasha's cheeks tinted red when the loud growl of his stomach echoed through the room.

Chuckling, Sesshomaru caught the soft footfalls of Kitanya as she made her way toward their chambers. "It appears as if Lady Kitanya is just in time."

"-Keh, I can't help it if I'm hungry. I'm eatin' for two now and besides, it wasn't like I could really keep much down these past few days."

Reaching down, Sesshomaru placed the palm of his hand over Inuyasha's abdomen. It was still difficult for him to be excited about the impending birth of his offspring. Although it appeared as if the stone Shayou had brought them was working, there were still far to many uncertainties for Sesshomaru to fully relax and enjoy his mate's pregnancy. Then again, the InuYoukai doubted he would ever feel fully at ease when Inuyasha was carrying, for even the strongest youkai could suffer complications from such things, especially when they were male. Still, for his mate's sake, Sesshomaru would try and push such negative feelings aside and attempt to share in Inuyasha's obvious joy.

Soon enough their peaceful moment was interrupted as Kitanya lightly knocked on the door before pushing it aside, the smell of freshly roasted rabbit, steaming soup and warm bread assaulting their senses. Releasing his mate, Sesshomaru felt his heart finally ease as he watched Inuyasha bound up from their bed, his feet steadily and rapidly carrying him to the awaiting food as the hanyou muttered a hasty, "About damn time," before grabbing a strip of rabbit and shoving it in his mouth.

Still leaning against the head of their bed, Sesshomaru watched his pregnant mate devour almost everything Kitanya had brought. In that moment, the Prince of the West thought that maybe . . . just maybe, everything would turn out as he wished. Internally, Sesshomaru berated himself for ever having doubted it, for he was Prince Sesshomaru, son of Lord Inu no Taisho and Lady Shayou and Heir of the Western Lands. To his mind, there was nothing that could ever defeat him, not even his own growing pup.

 _Whew . . . well, hopefully Inuyasha is out of the woods, at least for a little while. This story gets mid-week update hopefully on Thursday. Until then, stay well and I hope your lives are only as eventful as you wish them to be :-)_

 _lunamist_


	27. Chapter 27

_Good evening everyone. Thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter. I'm so glad many of you continued to like Shayou and also enjoyed the review that called Inu no Taisho an, "Old horn-dog". That one made me laugh. Many of you are concerned about what's going to happen next and indeed, things can't stay joyful quite yet (not with 3 chapters left). Also, had one reviewer who had a bit of forethought regarding the tea to halt conception . . . let me just say that you are definitely on to something :-)_

 _Are you all ready for Kouga to show back up? We couldn't let the story end without our favorite wolf._

 _Chapter 27 . . ._

Inuyasha couldn't believe it was already fall, nor could he believe that in just a few short minutes, he'd be seeing Kouga again. It seemed like a lifetime since he'd seen the fleabag and truthfully, that thought wasn't really so hard to believe. Although it had actually been but a fleeting moment in time that had passed, especially by youkai terms, so many things had changed that the hanyou hardly thought he was the same being who'd parted ways with his friend merely two spring's ago.

Hurrying through the halls, Tessaiga comfortably sitting at his hip, Inuyasha was leaving Miroku in the dust as he quickly made his way toward Inu no Taisho's office.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled, his sandaled feet briskly clipping along the wooden planked floors. "There is no need for such urgency."

Barely turning his head in the monk's direction, Inuyasha snorted, never once slowing his pace. "Quit bein' so damn whiny. You'd think with the way you were complainin' that it was you who was pregnant and not me."

"I am only saying that Lord Kouga isn't even here yet so there – "

"He may not be on the palace grounds, but the scouts said fleabag was in the woods just outside. If I know Kouga, he'll pick up speed just to throw everybody off. And if that's the case, then he'll be here in minutes, not hours."

"Oh . . . but surely he wouldn't leave his accompaniment behind."

"-Keh, of course he would. Now hurry the fuck up or I'm gonna really leave ya behind and then you can explain to Sesshomaru why I was travelin' through the halls alone and pregnant."

Miroku frowned at the snicker that followed that statement. Most of the time Inuyasha complained that he wasn't allowed out of his rooms alone, but every once in a great while the hanyou used that fact as a weapon to be wielded when convenient. Eyes rolling, the monk did pick up his pace and made sure that he could easily see the red of Inuyasha's firerat at all times.

Smiling, Inuyasha could barely contain the excitement he felt. Who'd have ever thought he'd be this happy about seeing the smelly wolf again? But regardless, he was excited. Excited not only to see Kouga, but also to let his first friend know that he was doing well. Inuyasha was well aware of how worried Kouga had been regarding his mating with Sesshomaru and was eager to let the fleabag know that everything had worked out, that Inuyasha was not only safe and well cared for, but well and truly desired. And to top it all off, he was carrying Sesshomaru's offspring – the future Heir of the Western Lands.

Having just completed another energy transfer the previous night, quickly followed by a rather spectacular bought of rutting, Inuyasha felt better than ever and couldn't have kept from running through the halls of the palace if his very life depended on it. Turning the last corner, Inuyasha barely slowed down enough to slide the door open before charging inside, nearly running head first into Sesshomaru.

Grinning from ear to ear, Inuyasha bounced on the balls of his feet while staring up into Sesshomaru's questioning eyes. "Hey, you two ready to head down to the courtyard?"

Sesshomaru didn't like the breathless quality that question had been asked with and disliked even more the fact that Inuyasha had entered the room alone. "Where is the monk?"

"H . . . h-hear . . . my p-prince," Miroku panted, his hand braced upon the frame of the door.

Frowning, Sesshomaru looked from his mate to the monk but before he could question things, he heard Inuyasha huff in annoyance. "Seriously, Miroku needs to start workin' out more or somethin'. Maybe you outta see if Masaru can train him some while I'm carryin' this pup."

Straightening, Miroku tugged at the edges of his robes. Having finally caught his breath, the monk moved into the room. "I am a dimensional youkai. Should I have need of traveling quickly through great distances, I need do little more than open my Wind Tunnel and go where I wish. I have no need of the level of stamina you require."

"-Keh," Inuyasha waved a hand in dismissal, "you start spoutin' that crap off to Lady Sango and you're never gonna get her to agree to mate you."

Reaching up, Miroku's delicate fingers contemplatively rubbed along the edge of his jaw. "You really think that would help?"

Opening his mouth, Inuyasha was silenced by Inu no Taisho's light laughter. "We can discuss the ways in which Miroku might try and woo our lovely Lady Sango at a later time. For now, we need to concentrate on the arrival of our guests."

Head turning, Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, about that . . . as I said when I got here, I think we need to start headin' down to the courtyard if you guys wanna be there in time to greet Kouga."

Reaching for a nearby bottle of sake, Inu no Taisho shook his head. "Our scouts said the wolf lord and his party had just entered the outskirts of the forest bordering the palace proper. It will still be several hours before they arrive."

Leaning back on his heels, Inuyasha crossed his arms over his slightly bulging belly, shoving his hands into the sleeves of his firerat. "Bullshit. There ain't no way Kouga's gonna wait on their slow asses now that's he's this close. If I know fleabag, he's already made it through the forest and will be bangin' on the gates within the next ten minutes."

Sake cup halfway to his lips, Inu no Taisho's eyebrow twitched as his eyes traveled to his son in question. Face as empty as usual, Sesshomaru merely answered, "The wolf is annoying enough to do such a thing."

Sighing, Inu no Taisho swallowed the contents of his cup in one burning gulp before setting the delicate item back on his desk. "Well then, let us greet our guest where it is proper."

Snickering, Inuyasha slid up a little closer to Sesshomaru. As it had become habit, whenever he was within such close proximity, the Prince of the West enveloped his expectant mate within the warmth and protection of mokomoko. Inuyasha wasn't sure who felt more comfort in the act, him or Sesshomaru, but either way, he'd long since stopped complaining.

Pulling Inuyasha just a little closer, Sesshomaru discretely breathed just a little bit deeper, sending his mate's unique scent deep into the core of his body. With every passing day, Inuyasha's scent became that much sweeter to his tongue, the growing pup beginning to make itself known. Leaning down, Sesshomaru's warm breath ghosted over a puppydog ear. "You are excited to see the wolf."

"Yeah, I guess," Inuyasha downplayed the true level of his excitement. "You know, it's just been a little while and all."

Intellectually, Sesshomaru knew he had little to be jealous of, but he still could not help the sting of knowing Kouga had known his mate longer than he had, that the repugnant wolf had been there to aid Inuyasha when he had not even known of the hanyou's existence.

A few months of being mated to Sesshomaru had done wonders for Inuyasha's ability to read his mate. And, what was currently coming through loud and clear was the InuYoukai's irritation. Annoyed, Inuyasha elbowed Sesshomaru in the side, the action causing a zinging pain along the length of his arm. Ignoring the pain, the hanyou grunted, "Cut that shit out right now. You know I got no interest in dogbreath. One pretentious dominant is way more than enough for me."

Tightening mokomoko ever so slightly, Sesshomaru's golden eyes narrowed. "That is indeed good news for the wolf. Should your desires prove otherwise, Kouga's time upon this earth would be minimal."

With a huff, Inuyasha sank deeper into the folds of mokomoko. It wasn't that he didn't believe Sesshomaru's threat, but more like the threat had no meaning since he really and truly had no interest in Kouga beyond friendship. "Play nice. From what I understand, this treaty thing is pretty important for both the West and Kouga's tribe."

"Should this Sesshomaru _play nice_ , no doubt Lord Kouga would suspect some form of nefarious motivation behind this meeting."

Inuyasha softly chuckled. "That's a good point. Just try not to be too big of an asshole and things should go fine."

Having no particular comment in mind, Sesshomaru simply continued following his father, Inuyasha at his side while Miroku could be heard scurrying behind them.

Within a matter of moments the bright light of the courtyard assaulted their eyes, the autumn sun warm against the changing leaves. Momentarily squinting his eyes while they adjusted, Inuyasha began scanning the horizon for his friend.

"Inuyasha, I sincerely hope you are correct and that I am not wasting good sake time," Inu no Taisho idly commented.

"-Keh, I ain't wrong. Any minute – " the yell of one of the guardsmen halted Inuyasha's tongue and brought a satisfied grin to his face. "I think that's probably him."

Not five seconds later, a brown blur raced into the courtyard, no less than seven guards hot on the intruder's heels. Skidding to a stop, a small dust mote rose up around fur wrapped legs as a tail happily swished back and forth. "Hey muttface! Did ya miss me?"

Grin growing wider in response to the matching one of his friend, Inuyasha scoffed. "Sure, fleabag. I missed ya like I'd miss an irritatin' rash."

Barking out a hail of laughter, Kouga's head tilted back, his ponytail swaying back and forth in time with his happy tail. Laughter finally settling into soft chuckles, Kouga placed his hands on his hips. "Damn but it's good to see those ridiculous ears of yours."

Ever sensitive about his ears, Inuyasha felt said appendages flatten. "What the fuck's wrong with my ears!"

"Ahh," Kouga sighed, "still sensitive even after all these months with the frigid bastard."

Having no illusions as to just what _frigid bastard_ Kouga was talking about, Sesshomaru stepped forward ever so slightly. He hadn't been pleased with just how close the damn wolf had gotten to his mate. Friend or not, Lord Kouga was still a fairly powerful dominant and Sesshomaru's youkai was roaring its disapproval as to just how near the smelly youkai was to their pregnant submissive mate.

Sharp blue eyes shifting to the side, Kouga's happy grin turned into a devious smirk as he addressed the Prince of the West with a clipped, "Sesshomaru."

"Wolf. As usual, your sense of tact is poorly lacking."

"-Feh! Like I need something as useful as tact when greetin' an old friend."

"Perhaps that is true, but you are not only standing before Inuyasha and myself, but the Lord of the West as well."

Eyebrows shooting up, Kouga cursed himself up one side and down the other. If Ayame had been there, no doubt his mate would have already cuffed his head. He'd been so damn happy to not only see Inuyasha but to find his old friend looking healthy and well that he'd momentarily forgotten where he was and in whose presence he was currently standing.

Head bowed, Kouga let out a softly muffled, "Well, fuck," before raising his head and turning his attention to what was most likely the most powerful youkai in not only the West, but perhaps all the four nations combined. Head lifted, Kouga squared his shoulders before giving a stiff bow. "Lord Inu no Taisho. My apologies for not showing the proper respect sooner."

But the Lord of the West only smiled before waiving a hand in dismissal. "No insult was taken. Inuyasha has regaled me with enough tales of your _personality_ that I am pleased to find those stories brimming with accuracy."

Uncertain whether he should be insulted or not, Kouga shot a look in Inuyasha's direction, only to have the hanyou absently shrug his shoulders and answer, "Don't look at me like that. I only told him the truth."

"No doubt a very colorful version of such."

With all the constant banter, it was several moments before Inu no Taisho realized the guards that had chased Kouga into the courtyard were still standing at attention, both their bodies and blades ready to attack at a moment's notice. Inu no Taisho knew he'd have to speak with Masaru later regarding the lax in security, but at the moment, he simply waved a hand and stated, "Lord Kouga is here early. We expect the rest of his party to arrive within the next few hours. You will inform Lady Sango when they arrive and she will escort them to their quarters."

Bowing as one, the guard did as told and left the courtyard, moving back to their posts. Head turned and watching them go, Kouga threw a thumb over his shoulder in their general direction. "Can't say much for the guards. All I did was run faster than them and I was able to get inside."

"-Keh, don't let him fool ya. If there's one thing fleabag is good at, it's runnin'. Not many can keep up with him."

Leaning back on his heels, Kouga gave a crooked grin. "True. But somehow you never seemed to have much trouble."

Mouth opening slightly, Inuyasha knew Kouga had just praised his abilities and felt a light flush tint his cheeks. Beside him, the hanyou felt the slightest flair in Sesshomaru's youkai before his mate coldly stated, "My mate is a rare exception."

Sensing the rising tension, Miroku smiled, turning his eyes into little more than slits. "Lord Kouga, might I say that it is good to see you again."

Eyes shifting to the odd robes lingering behind the Inu's before him, Kouga's orbs widened in pleased surprised. "Hey, if it ain't the weird dimensional youkai! How's it goin', Miroku?"

Unsure he liked the title of _weird_ ; Miroku awkwardly scratched the back of his head while tilting his staff. "Oh, well, I suppose it is going well. I was pleased when I learned that you had taken control of both the Northern and Mountain Wolf Tribes. Although it happened sooner than I expected, it was not that surprising."

At the mention of his new title as well as the implications it brought, the smile gracing Kouga's face faltered, his eyes turning somber. "Yeah . . . well, I guess things change. Sometimes quicker than you think."

Inuyasha was itching to know just what went down and why, but thought it best to wait until they had a little more privacy. No doubt Inu no Taisho would question the new wolf lord regarding his succession. Inuyasha decided he'd wait until he heard Kouga's explanation before getting concerned. And if he didn't like all the wolf had to say, then he'd just corner the fleabag later and beat the real story out of his friend.

Evidently Lord Inu no Taisho was also feeling a little too exposed out in the open to be discussing such details and took the opportunity to move things indoors. "Lord Kouga, do you require rest and refreshment before we officially meet or would you like to discuss some things first?"

Kouga looked momentarily grim before answering. "I could use food and drink, but there are a few things I'd like to get out in the open before that. So, if it's okay with you, let's head in and get some shit outta the way first."

"Are there issues you wish to discuss with me in private or are you agreeable to having Sesshomaru and Inuyasha present as well?"

Kouga shook his head. "No, that's fine." Sighing, Kouga scratched the base of his tail. "Muttface will wanna hear this and if I leave him out of it now, he'll just track me down later and hound me until I tell him the details, might as well just get it all done and over with at one time."

"-Keh, that just makes you sound like the lazy-ass wolf you are."

Raising a mock hand to his chest, Kouga looked positively wounded. " _Lazy?_ "

"Don't try and deny it now. I've known ya too damn long to be convinced otherwise."

Kouga could do little but sigh. "Well, I'd rather be lazy than super sensitive."

Lips pulling back into a snarl, Inuaysha leaned forward. "I ain't _sensitive_ , jackass!"

But Kouga only smirked and threw the hanyou's words back in his face. "And I've known you too damn long for you to convince me otherwise."

Huffing, Inuyasha pulled back, stuffing his hands into the sleeves of his firerat while muttering a quiet, "Whatever."

Kouga could only smile, the curve of his lips happy while replying, "Gods, I've missed you muttface."

Ears twitching, Inuyasha ducked his head, allowing his bangs to cover his eyes, hiding the joy that sentiment brought to his soul.

Seeing Inuyasha's shy response, all Kouga wanted to do was tackle his friend. In a moment of stupidity, the wolf moved forward, one foot barely raised before he was stopped by a harsh growl. Easing his foot down, Kouga stared into crimson tinted eyes, Sesshomaru's voice little more than a cold frost seeping into his bones. "You are testing this Sesshomaru's patience, wolf."

Blinking, Kouga's blue eyes narrowed while taking in the overly protective dominant standing before him. To be sure, Kouga was cautious with any dominant sniffing around Ayame, but the sheer level of protective possessiveness Sesshomaru was pulling was beyond normal, even for a mated pair. And to top it off, Inuyasha was just standing there, allowing Sesshomaru to play the overbearing dominant role with not even a whisper of protest. Brow pinched in thought, Kouga thought there was more going on but for the life of him couldn't figure out what.

Easing back, Kouga finally decided that, for now, he would play it safe. He was, after all, a guest in the Western Lands and now that he was a Lord in his own right, it was time to play the grown-up role and try and get along for the sake of the future of his packs. Plastering a smile back on his face, Kouga casually shrugged his shoulders. "Relax. In case you've forgotten, I've got my own sexy mate waiting for me back home. Ayame would castrate me if I even looked at another submissive with lust in mind."

"Then you are fortunate for Lady Ayame would leave you alive where this Sesshomaru would not."

Coughing into his hand, Miroku sought to divert the growing tension once more. "Lord Inu no Taisho, if you are no longer in need of me – "

"Yes, yes, Miroku. Please inform Lady Sango of our other guests impending arrival and that the guards have been instructed to inform her when her presence is necessary." Ignoring the happy smile stretched across the monk's face, Inu no Taisho gave a sly smirk as he added, "And Miroku, I'm sure Lady Kitanya would appreciate some help getting the wolves' quarters prepared."

Smile fading, Miroku's head dropped, his staff tilting to the side with his disappointment. The monk had been hoping to spend his free time wooing the youkai of his dreams, not readying futons and baths. With a heavy sigh, Miroku bowed while uttering, "As always, I am at the service of the West," before heading off in the direction he believed Sango to be in.

"-Keh, that monk is lazier than fleabag."

Inu no Taisho gave a curt nod of agreement before turning toward the palace proper. "Lord Kouga, if you would please follow me, we shall all retire to my private study where we can speak without so many prying ears."

Letting out a deep sigh, Kouga somewhat dreaded the next few minutes but at the same time, he wanted little more than to get this particular conversation done and over with. The wolf wasn't exactly sure what Inu no Taisho's reaction was going to be, but he somehow thought it would probably be unpleasant. Walking beside the impressive Lord of the West, Kouga threw a quick glance over his shoulder, his eyes momentarily catching Sesshomaru's piercing gaze. Turning back around, Kouga felt a frown pull at his lips. Most likely it wasn't Inu no Taisho's reaction he had to worry about, but his son's.

::::::::::

Inuyasha felt the bile rise in his throat, his face pale and hands clammy. Kouga had been speaking for about the last ten minutes or so and not a single one of them had interrupted. But now his friend was staring at him, Kouga's lips little more than a thin line as his worried blue eyes stared deep into Inuyasha's disbelieving ones. In the silence of the room, Inuyasha thought he was supposed to say something, but words seemed to have abandoned him. In the end, all the hanyou could mutter was, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Well aware of the distress radiating off his mate, Sesshomaru tried moving Inuyasha closer and into his arms, only to have his hanyou push away, Inuyasha's face pinched with painful emotion as he harshly stared up into Sesshomaru's eyes and ordered, "Don't! Don't you dare try and comfort me. Not now . . . not when . . . not when this is all my damn fault."

"Inuyasha – "

"No! Don't deny it! If it wasn't for me then Kouga wouldn't have had to fight his father and . . . and he wouldn't have had to kill his own sire."

Head shaking, Kouga ignored Sesshomaru and took three powerful strides forward, his face only a few inches away from his friend. "That's bullshit and you damn well know it. God's be damned, you are the most self-sacrificing being I have ever met."

Eyes wide, Inuyasha stared ahead, his breath rapid and mouth open to protest, only to have Kouga silence him with a loud sigh. Raking a hand through his disheveled bangs, Kouga shook his head, allowing calm to once more flood his body. "Listen, it ain't your fault any more now than it was over thirty years ago when we first met. You're not the dishonorable one in this situation." Feeling most of the fight drain from his body, Kouga walked to a nearby window, glancing Inu no Taisho's way before turning his gaze to the gardens below. "I just . . . I couldn't take it anymore. I don't know when my father and our elder tribesman turned their backs on pride and honor . . . maybe they really never had any to begin with, I don't know. All I know is that I'd had enough." Turning back from the window, Kouga locked eyes with his hanyou friend again. "Don't you understand, Inuyasha? You were never the problem. All your presence ever did was expose my father for who he truly was. Knowing you removed the veil from my eyes and allowed me to truly see my sire for the youkai he was." Leaning back against the windowpane, Kouga's shoulders drooped with his weariness. "I ain't sayin' it was easy to accept, but you allowed me to see things that I would have been blinded to for years." Laughing harshly, Kouga shook his head. "If it weren't for me havin' met you, both the Northern and Mountain Wolf Tribes would be gettin' ready to fight a costly and pointless war with the West. If anything, you've saved lives so don't go beatin' yourself up about pointless shit."

Wholly unconvinced, Inuyasha's ears flicked back and forth with his distress. "But to have to fight and kill your own father, I – "

"It woulda happened someday, the timetable was sped up a little, that's all," Kouga answered with a shrug.

With his anger passing, Inuyasha felt fatigue beginning to take its place and this time when Sesshomaru reached out to hold him, he didn't protest, nor did he protest when he felt the gentle push of his mate's youkai as it reached out to sooth and calm him.

With Inuyasha safely within his embrace, Sesshomaru momentarily listened to his mate's heartbeat and breathing, his own youkai finally settling some when they normalized. Mate more settled; Sesshomaru turned his attention to the real issue – a traitor. They had a traitor in their midst and not just any run of the mill traitor. No, this was a youkai who not only sought the destruction of the Western leaders, but the West itself. "Lord Kouga, do you have knowledge as to the identity of the one whom approached your father?"

Kouga shook his head. "Not exactly. I can tell you I smelled centipede youkai, but not much else." Eyebrows knitting down, the wolf added, "I don't think the one my father spoke to was the ring leader. I got the feeling they were more like a messenger than anything else."

Muscles pulled taught, Inu no Taisho felt his youkai roll within the pit of his very soul, itching to be released and destroy that which had so callously threatened what he held most dear. "And your reasons for believing this?"

"My father gave several reasons why we should join forces and try and overthrow the Western Lord and his heir. Not surprisingly, the main one was that Sesshomaru had mated a half-breed, something many stupidly viewed as weakness. But the other was that there was a powerful sorcerer involved that would assure our victory."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha felt the blood in his veins go cold while Sesshomaru's body tightened to stone. "Sorcery?" Head tilted up, the hanyou's eyes were wide. "You don't think – " but whatever Inuyasha was going to say faded into nothing as he found himself staring into crimson orbs. "Sesshomaru?"

But Sesshomaru couldn't hear. Inside, his youkai was screaming for release. If sorcery was involved, no doubt Hakudoshi was behind yet another plot against not only his mate, but also the lands of his ancestors. Hakudoshi needed to die and Sesshomaru was determined to make that happen post haste.

Soon the room was pulsating with Sesshomaru's infuriated youkai. Never before had Kouga experienced something as potent as this. In that moment, the wolf understood what few others did – just how damn powerful the Prince of the West was and just how fucking dead his pack would have been if they'd chosen to fight the Lords of the West. And if one InuYoukai losing control hadn't been enough, Kouga's senses were soon assaulted by the true Lord of the West's internal beast as Inu no Taisho's youkai began rising in challenge to his son.

Feeling the press of so much power, Inuyasha knew his mate was losing control and that Inu no Taisho would need to do something soon. And that something would no doubt lead to bloodshed. Allowing his instincts to take hold, Inuyasha went up on his tiptoes, his tongue darting out to quickly lap at Sesshomaru's chin. Relaxing, the hanyou released more of his natural scent into the air.

With each breath, Sesshomaru pulled more of his mate's calming scent into the core of his being. Even so, Sesshomaru couldn't fully contain his youkai and his eyes remained as they were, swimming in a red haze. But the violence that red haze had promised before had turned into something far different. Voice little more than a growl, Sesshomaru nuzzled into his mate's neck and whispered, "Inuyasha."

Shocked to his very core, Kouga stood there, mouth hanging open as two facts became suddenly clear. One, Inuyasha was pregnant. He hadn't noticed it earlier, but when the hanyou had released more of his scent, the fact that his friend was carrying became crystal clear. And two, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had the rarest of mating's. The two Inu's had a true mating bond. Sucking in a deep breath, Kouga uttered a hallowed, "Holy shit."

Hearing another voice, Sesshomaru's attention snapped to the wolf, his growl turning predatory as his youkai rose in defense.

Without further thought, Inu no Taisho reached over, grabbing the Wolf Lord by the arm and pulling him from the room. "Come with me. Now."

Still staring, Kouga stumbled after the Lord of the West as he hurried them from his private study. Blindly following, the wolf heard Inu no Taisho barking orders at every guard they crossed that no matter what, no one was to enter his private study and if they did, their life was forfeit.

Roughly shoved, Kouga valiantly regained his balance as his feet stuttered to a stop. Behind him he heard a door click shut and turned to find Inu no Taisho leaning heavily upon that same sliding door, his shoulders slumped while his furs twitched at his back.

Taking a few steps back, Kouga fairly whispered. "They formed a true bond. How in the fuck did that happen?"

Shaking his head, Inu no Taisho didn't bother turning from the door. "It happened as it always does with none the wiser until the outcome is final." Heaving a great sigh, the Lord of the West straightened and moved away from the door and further into the receiving room of his private chambers as he quickly headed for a nearby chest of drawers. Opening one quickly, Inu no Taisho pulled out a bottle of sake and popped the cork. Not bothering to pour it into a proper glass, the Lord of the West drank the entire bottle down and reached for a second. "Forgive my manners. I should have offered you a drink sooner, but as you can see, I have a ready supply if you would like to partake as well."

Without a word, Kouga stepped forward and grabbed the bottle. Tipping the end up, the wolf eagerly drank half before pulling the bottle away and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. "That's good shit."

Smiling, Inu no Taisho simply reached for a third bottle. "Of course. Would you expect anything less?"

"No," Kouga grinned, his head shaking back and forth before sobering in thought. "Will Inuyasha be okay?"

Head bowed, Inu no Taisho stared at the bottle in his hand, twirling it around absently before answering. "Inuyasha has done what no other could, he has calmed Sesshomaru's youkai and turned my son's lust for blood into something entirely different."

Nodding, Kouga thought he understood but still scrunched up his face when he thought of what was probably going on in the Lord of the West's study right about now. "I'm glad I'm not there to witness that."

Inu no Taisho grunted. "Don't worry, had I not removed you from the room, you would not have lived long enough to witness their rutting. Sesshomaru would have killed you and then gone for me if we'd attempted to stay."

"Shit, your son's one scary ass fucker."

Smiling, Inu no Taisho's mind drifted to his own mate. "You should meet his mother." Ignoring the harsh grunt of disbelief, the Lord of the West's humor faded as he turned to the wolf. "Now, tell me more about the plan your father proposed before you challenged him for leadership."

Staying where they were, Inu no Taisho listened intently to Kouga as the wolf told him as many details as he could. With every passing minute, the Lord of the West grew more outraged. The sheer audacity of what appeared to be Hakudoshi's master plan was unbelievable. What wasn't unbelievable was the pain and tragedy such a scheme would unleash upon not only the Western Lands but also the four nations as a whole. It seemed as if Hakudoshi's true desire was not only to take revenge upon he and Sesshomaru, but also to send the whole of the youkai world crashing into utter chaos. And if the youkai world fell, the human world would not be far behind. The more the wolf said, the more Inu no Taisho began to fear that they could not wait for an opportunity to slay Hakudoshi. Although it was far from what he wanted, it was becoming increasingly clear that they might very well need to go into the WenKai Caves, and that was a trip he feared too few would return from alive.

::::::::::

Legs tightly wrapped around Sesshomaru's waist, Inuyasha laid, back sprawled across the length of Inu no Taisho's desk as his mate's heavy cock pounded deep inside his body. Below him the hanyou felt the table creek with the strain of their actions and yet Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to care. All around, surrounding and running through him, he could feel Sesshomaru's powerful youkai as it filled the room with both his desires and needs. Although it was true that his mate was barely in control of his actions, Inuyasha felt no fear. Sesshomaru's inner youkai was his mate's raw, unbridled self. Every emotion, every want, every need was magnified when the Prince of the West's youkai was let loose. Should he have ever doubted, Inuyasha was now certain that he was as vital to Sesshomaru as the very air he breathed. Although the rutting was rough, it was far from unpleasant and in no way harmful. Instead, Inuyasha felt just the opposite. The speed, need, and desperation in Sesshomaru's movements only fueled the growing fire within himself. Far from ill at ease, the hanyou was grunting in ecstasy.

Panting, Inuyasha held on as the sparks of pleasure flared all the brighter, his own youkai rising in response, the name, "Sesshomaru," echoing through his parted lips like a prayer. Head tilted back, the hanyou howled as he felt his release rip through him, Sesshomaru's fangs sinking deep into the mating mark as the InuYoukai's seed warmly filled his channel.

Eyes closed, Inuyasha felt the world fall away. Safe within Sesshomaru's arms, the hanyou felt no need to fight it and smiled as oblivion briefly came to lay claim to his consciousness.

As the red haze left his vision, Sesshomaru found himself staring down at his utterly flushed and spent mate, the scent of both he and Inuyasha's release thick in the air. Within an instant, the InuYoukai took in the physical wellbeing of his mate, easily noting that although his hanyou was unconscious, he was far from harmed.

With the previous rage and anxiety subdued, Sesshomaru's controlled calm returned. Pulling his softened cock from his mate, the Prince of the West bent forward, running his tongue over both he and Inuyasha's seed, savoring the taste as he cleaned them.

Eyes fluttering open, Inuyasha woke to the erotic feel of Sesshomaru's tongue ghosting over his overly sensitive cock, balls and slightly rounded stomach. Groaning with pleasure, the hanyou wound his claws through the silky locks of his mate's hair. "God's above, that feels good."

Tongue never once stopping its motion, Sesshomaru tilted his head up enough to lock gazes with his mate, the satisfied inhale of breath Inuyasha took only spurring on his actions.

Seeing the fire still burning in Sesshomaru's eyes and knowing he was responsible for putting it there, Inuyasha felt a whole new flush rush through his body. "Damn, you look good like that."

Finally pulling away, Sesshomaru made a show of licking the glistening cum from his lips. "I am pleased you approve."

Letting loose a happy laugh, Inuyasha threw an arm over his eyes. "Yeah, I fuckin' approve. You can lick me clean any time ya want."

Moving from his precious spot, Sesshomaru moved his body up so that he was hovering over the smaller form of his mate, his face directly above Inuyasha's. Easily pulling his hanyou's arm away, Sesshomaru stared down into Inuyasha's smoldering yet sated eyes. "Forgive my lack of control."

"Shit, there ain't nothin' to forgive and you damn well know it. I ain't sayin' I want it that rough all the time, but you needed it and it felt fuckin' amazin' so let's just leave it at that."

Lowering his head, Sesshomaru nuzzled Inuyasha's neck. "Even so, I should not have lost control so easily. When I heard that Hakudoshi is most likely involved, that Naraku is still threatening that which is mine, even from beyond the grave – "

"Shhh," Inuyasha whispered. "I ain't worried. I've fought tougher and that was when I was all on my own." Realizing Sesshomaru's ego needed a bit of reassurance; Inuyasha swallowed his pride and added, "Besides, there's no way you'd ever let that bastard hurt me or our pup."

Sesshomaru let loose a low, satisfied growl. "All their blood will soon be a river upon the land."

Thickly swallowing, Inuyasha felt a shudder run through his body, thankful that he wasn't on whatever particular list his mate was mentally forming. Not really knowing how to answer a statement like that, the hanyou began pushing at Sesshomaru's body as he tried sitting up. "Hey, bastard, you know you're kinda heavy and this desk ain't doin' my back any favors."

Easing himself up, Sesshomaru wrapped mokomoko around Inuyasha's back, pulling his body up and into a sitting position. Once situated, Inuyasha took a moment to view the carnage they'd made of the Lord of the West's study, a worried frown pulling at his lips. "Your father's gonna be pissed."

Apathetic golden eyes following the path of his mate's, Sesshomaru simply stood and began adjusting his kimono. "I am confident the desk has taken far greater abuse and in much less pleasurable ways."

Blushing, Inuyasha pushed himself off the desk, pulling up his own hakama's and wrapping his firerat closer around his body. Absently running a hand over his slightly rounded abdomen, the hanyou gave a heavy sigh.

Seeing the movement, Sesshomaru placed his hand over that of his mate. "Is our pup still well?"

"-Keh, you think this little guy would be injured by somethin' like that? You're already underestimatin' our pup."

Hearing the obvious rebuke in Inuyasha's tone brought an odd smile to Sesshomaru's lips. "Indeed, you are correct. Forgive me for implying such weakness."

Quirking his mouth, Inuyasha tilted his head to the side as his ears flicked. "You're forgiven. Now, we better get this shit straightened up." Inuyasha was just bending over to do that very thing when Sesshomaru placed a halting hand upon his shoulder. Looking up, Inuyasha's eyebrows rose as he questioned, "What? I ain't about to leave it in this kind of mess."

Walking to the sliding door, Sesshomaru answered, "That is not my intent. However, there are others that are capable of such things."

Stuttering out a disbelieving, "W-what?" Inuyasha stared on in horror as he heard Sesshomaru call from the doorway a clipped, "Jaken."

To Inuyasha's continuing disbelief, it was a few short minutes later when the little kappa came tottering in, his beak open and panting with the effort of his running. "Y-yes my p-prince."

Moving back into the room, Sesshomaru reached around, placing the palm of his hand against the small of Inuyasha's back as mokomoko took up its usual position around his shoulders. Not even bothering to look down on the kappa, Sesshomaru began leading his mate out of the trashed room, his voice cold and emotionless as he ordered, "The Lord of the West's study is in need of cleaning." With nothing further, the Prince of the West led his stunned mate from the room, Inuyasha's mouth opening and closing in a fruitless effort to get any of the protests his mind was screaming to actually take form and travel past his lips.

::::::::::

That evening, Lord Inu no Taisho requested Kouga's presence at an evening meal so that he might meet the Lord's inner circle. Upon entering the intimate room, the wolf was introduced to the head of the West's defense, Masaru and his mate, the healer Norim. Kouga already knew Miroku, so the only other new arrival was the hunter youkai, Sango along with her firecat, Kirara. Having never seen a firecat before, Kouga found himself unusually preoccupied with the thing. He'd heard they could transform into a larger form but found it hard to believe when looking at the small kitten like creature hugging Sango's shoulder.

Thankfully, a quick look in Inuyasha's direction took Kouga's mind off the odd firecat. Obviously embarrassed, Inuyasha sat with his head tilted down, his bangs covering his eyes as his puppydog ears twitched nervously back and forth. Smirking, the wolf dearly wanted to say something completely inappropriate and embarrassing, but kept remembering the wickedly powerful youkai Sesshomaru had released earlier that day and thought better of it. Maybe later, if he ever got the chance to be alone with his friend, he'd get a few good hits in. So, instead of speaking, Kouga sat there, smirking and snickering enough to cause the hanyou to fidget.

Face red with embarrassment, Inuyasha was acutely aware that everyone at the table knew what had gone down in Inu no Taisho's study a few short hours ago. Of course it wasn't a surprise that he and Sesshomaru rutted . . . often. Inuyasha just didn't like them knowing that it had happened in the Lord of the West's study or the circumstances surrounding it. Amber eyes glancing up, Inuyasha's gaze darted around the table, easily noting that everyone but him seemed to be engaged in some form of lighthearted conversation. A hearty laugh from Inu no Taisho seemed to indicate the InuDaiYoukai wasn't really mad about the whole thing.

Finally deciding that he just needed to get over it, Inuyasha was reaching for a cooked strip of rabbit meat when a loud _smack_ , echoed through the room quickly followed by Sango's angry, "Stop touching my ass, lecher!"

Eyes quickly shifting to Miroku's reddened and completely unapologetic face, Inuyasha could only shake his head at the monk's continued idiocy. Ignoring the spectacle, Inuyasha shoved the meat into his mouth, only to damn near choke on it when Kouga finally blurted, "So, I guess congratulations are in order."

Momentarily panicked, Inuyasha felt the palms of his hands go clammy, his face paling as his eyes darted around the room, all conversation suddenly stopped. "W-what was that?"

Only a few short moments ago Kouga had resigned himself to playing nice, but the more he thought about Inuyasha being pregnant at such a young age, the more the wolf's ire rose until finally he could no longer hold his tongue. Blue eyes narrowed, Kouga looked from Inuyasha to Sesshomaru before answering. "I understand you're carryin' the jackass's pup. I ain't surprised that you're capable, I just figured he'd have enough sense to wait on knockin' ya up until you were a little older and it was safer."

Beside him, Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru stiffen and a low growl emanate from his throat. Quickly reaching over a hand, the hanyou gripped his mate's leg. Inuyasha wasn't sure how Kouga had found out. It wasn't like they were exactly keeping it a secret anymore, but he still wasn't showing enough for most to be able to tell. Then again, Kouga was a wolf and his sense of smell was probably better than most other youkai. Shoulders pulling taught, Inuyasha narrowed his own eyes. "Don't you dare go accusin' Sesshomaru of stupid shit, dogbreath."

Jumping into the conversation, Norim felt guilt weigh heavily upon him once more. "Forgive my interruption, but it is not fair to blame Prince Sesshomaru for Inuyasha's early conception. Unfortunately, the fault is mine."

"Norim – " Masaru started only to be interrupted by a grunt from Inuyasha. "Stop blamin' yourself for shit you can't control. It ain't like there are a lot of hanyou out there that you've treated before." Shrugging his shoulders, Inuyasha stuffed another piece of meat into his mouth, swallowing quickly before adding, "so that tea don't work on half-breeds. It's not like you knew that before." Eyes glancing up at Sesshomaru, Inuyasha gave a cautious smile. "Besides, it's all workin' out so I don't see why anybody's gotta feel bad about anything."

Elbow on table, Kouga leaned his chin into his hand as he continued studying his friend. "So, you're really okay with this?"

"More than okay. It may not be what we all expected, but life rarely is."

Face splitting into a grin, Kouga nodded before loading his plate with a variety of the bloody meat laid out before him. "Then that's good enough for me. Ayame's gonna be pissed that you managed it before her, but she'll get over it." Eyebrows waggling, Kouga took a break from gathering food. "Besides, in the end, it'll be no contest. Give us a few centuries and we'll see who's produced more offspring."

Lips pulling back, Inuyasha grimaced. "This ain't a damn contest, fleabag."

Swallowing down a strip of raw meat, Kouga's grin only widened. "Like hell it ain't." Looking directly at Sesshomaru, the Wolf Lord pointed an accusing finger. "Me and Ayame'll produce way more cubs than you and the mutt. You can fuckin' count on it."

Sesshomaru hardly knew what to say to such an outrageous statement. Pregnancies were far more difficult on male youkai than females so the wolf's challenge was not one Sesshomaru wished to rise to. "Wolves breed almost as quickly as felines. I would only feel sympathy for the Lady Ayame in such a situation but should she desire your . . . _attentions_ , that is between you and the she-wolf." Never once looking at Inuyasha, mokomoko simply wound around the hanyou's waist, its weight more comfort than confinement. "One heir was more than enough for the Lord and Lady of the West."

Grunting into his food, Kouga muttered something foul regarding his belief that one jackass Prince of the West was more than enough, before shoving in a rather large chunk of bread.

With a deep sigh, Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know how many pups we'll have. As long as this one's healthy, that's all that matters to me."

Swallowing thickly, Kouga's sharp eyes looked from Inuyasha to Sesshomaru and back again. Inwardly he was wondering if things weren't going as well as his friend had implied. Gaze lowering to the hanyou's belly, Kouga noted Inuyasha's hand was probably located over his growing pup but that damn fluffy thing of Sesshomaru's was covering it up. Taking a quick sip of tea, Kouga vaguely noted the tone of silence filling the air before asking, "Are you really okay?"

Sesshomaru didn't like the wolf's tone nor the implication that if Inuyasha were not doing well, then the wolf would have more ability to rectify that situation than Sesshomaru did. Golden eyes glinting, the Prince of the West felt his youkai begin to stir but was silenced by Inuyasha's voice, his hanyou sounding calm and confident as he replied, "I'm good and so is our pup." Head tilted, Inuyasha smirked. "Between me and the bastard over here, did you really expect anything less?"

By now Sesshomaru had become used to the odd name-calling his mate liked to indulge in and was far from offended. For whatever reason, Inuyasha seemed to relish in using such language. A youkai of lesser confidence and abilities would have balked at such things, but having nothing to prove, Sesshomaru simply ignored them. What wasn't so easily ignored was the wolf's stench as it wafted across the table. Not even the intoxicating scent of his pregnant mate was enough to block out Kouga's foul odor.

Eyes shifting once more in Sesshomaru's direction, Kouga was silent for a moment before finally shrugging his shoulders. "If you say so, mutt." Shoving in another tender piece of meat, Kouga moaned appreciatively before complimenting the bounty of the table. And just like that, the jovial mood returned to the room, all within taking the moment to enjoy the company and their newfound ally. As a whole, for tonight at least, all decided to ignore the threat lurking in the background. Unfortunately, Hakudoshi and his plots would still be there tomorrow and they would deal with such things when the sun kissed the sky once more.

 _Yeah! Kouga and his foul mouth are back! I have to say that I missed him. I like it that he thinks having offspring is a competition and one he's going to work hard at to win. Poor Ayame :-(_

 _Next update will be on Sunday night. I think there are only two chapters left on this one. For those of you who read and especially those that reviewed the Chaos story - thank you so much. I'm glad most of you enjoyed the ending and found it satisfying._

 _Until next time, I hope life treats you well._

 _lunamist_


	28. Chapter 28

_Good evening everyone. Glad you all seemed to like Kouga popping back on the scene. Some of you were wondering where Shayou has gone. I think she still spends a lot of her time in her own kingdom, but now she's getting letters from Inuyasha as to what's going on. I like to think she'll be visiting more regularly, but she still doesn't live there._

 _With only two chapters left, you can pretty much figure that things are going to get heated fast. This chapter kind of jumps around a little towards the end. I hope it isn't too hard to follow._

 _Chapter 28 . . ._

The previous night's conversation was weighing heavily on Norim's mind as he walked through the gardens of the palace. While it was true that Inuyasha was doing remarkably well since he and Sesshomaru began using the energy transfer stone, the healer still felt a deep responsibility within the pit of his stomach. But more than that, Norim was questioning the validity that it was Inuyasha's hanyou status that led to the tea's failure. While it was true that none, including him, knew all the ways in which Inuyasha's human blood influenced him, Norim found it increasingly difficult to believe that it would be the hanyou's weaker human half that would have the ability to overcome the tea's influence.

Possibly more disturbing to the healer was the thought that if it truly was the fact that Inuyasha was a hanyou, then how was he to prevent conception in the future? While the energy transfer stone was currently working, there was no guarantee that it would continue to do so or that it would be enough should Inuyasha's body be subjected to this kind of strain again in the near future. For most youkai (including InuYoukai) after the birth of an offspring, their body would naturally remain unfertile for decades to centuries – long enough for them to recover from the strain of not only carrying, but also caring for their young. However, humans were not the same and conceived much quicker after birthing a child. If Inuyasha's reproductive drive favored his more human half, then the future would be a nightmare of attempting to keep the hanyou barren.

Wracking his brain, Norim casually strolled through the withering plants still fighting for life within the chilly autumnal air. Bending down, the healer ran his hands over the wilting leaf of a mint plant. Norim had looked through the ingredients used to make the tea he'd given to Inuyasha, but that was an almost pointless endeavor as each plant was ground down to little more than dust with nothing left to examine. In addition, he currently had no other youkai he was treating, well, with the exception of himself, but Norim strongly suspected his body had long ago become barren.

Frowning at all the memories regarding his own failed pregnancies and the toll they had taken on his body, Norim's eyes and mind became distant, the voice breaking through his thoughts more surprising than it should be. "Healer Norim?"

Covering his surprise at not having noticed another's approach, Norim schooled his face into a pleasant smile and stood, his smile almost faltering as he tried recalling the name of the youkai standing before him. After only a brief moment of hesitation, the healer answered, "Seneichi, I thought you worked more in the caves, did Trench change your duties or are you simply out to enjoy the fresh air?" Norim had appointed Trench, a young mole youkai, as head of the palace gardens almost three decades ago and so far, Trench had not disappointed him. Like most mole youkai, Trench was almost completely blind, but what he lacked in sight, he more than made up for in his other senses. Trench had an uncanny knack of knowing exactly what the earth required to yield its best results. And not only that, but he was generally well liked among the garden staff.

If Norim's memory was true, then the youkai standing before him had been one of Trench's first hires. The healer remembered Trench telling him that, although Seneichi wasn't one of the brightest youkai, he was well intentioned, loved the soil and was a diligent worker. So much so that Trench had placed Seneichi in charge of the caves which grew some of the most important ingredients for not only the palace kitchens but also for Norim's medicinal remedies. Mostly, mushrooms were what came from those darkened depths, but at the entrance to the caves, in the odd rocky mix of soil, grew chickweed root, whose only known purpose, medicinal or otherwise, was as an ingredient in the tea that prevented conception.

Black eyes shimmering in the autumn sun, Seneichi's expression was blank as he ignored Norim's pleasant conversation and asked, "Is it true the hanyou is carrying?"

Blinking once, the smile upon Norim's face faltered ever so slightly. Although he'd had few past interactions with Seneichi, he'd always found the bat youkai to be pleasant, perhaps a little anxious and accident prone, but always congenial. Never had Norim heard Seneichi's voice sound so flat . . . or disrespectful. Still, the fact that Inuyasha was indeed carrying was no longer a secret and so he answered, "Prince Inuyasha is indeed carrying Sesshomaru's pup and future heir of the Western Lands."

Seneichi's eyes never blinked. "It is my understanding that he is very young to try something like that."

Norim was starting to feel vaguely uneasy at not only the line of questioning, but the tone. Taking a slightly more critical look, Norim thought the bat youkai looked a little pale, the coloring of his skin just a shade wrong. Then again, Seneichi did live most of his life in the dark. In spite of his discomfort, or maybe because of it, Norim pulled the façade of pleasantness around him like a cloak. "Even so, Prince Inuyasha is quite well. Both he and the pup are doing wonderfully."

"I see," Seneichi answered, his voice just as devoid of emotion as it had previously been.

Beginning to move forward, Norim was just starting to raise his hand, a faint blue aura beginning to form as he questioned, "Seneichi, are you well?"

Pulling back, Seneichi turned and began moving away, leaving Norim standing alone once more, his mind troubled as his hand lowered. Although he hadn't had time to do even a fraction of an exam, the healer knew enough to realize something was terribly wrong with Seneichi. It wasn't that he'd been able to pick up an exact injury or illness, but more like Norim had felt . . . nothing.

Head snapping up, Norim started walking, his direction changed as he began making his way to the storage sheds and Trench's office. Seneichi's behavior and aura were wrong and Norim needed answers and the best place to start was the head of the gardens. If anyone would know what was going on with the bat youkai, it would be Trench.

::::::::::

Trench grunted while lifting a hefty bag of soil, his oddly clawed fingers opening and closing as he stretched their tired tendons. "Seneichi you say?" Wiping the sweat from his brow, Trench's small, black eyes stared in the direction he knew Norim to be. "Well, it's been a bit since I've seen him." Scratching at his face with a dirty claw, Trench frowned. "But, I suppose that in and of itself is a little odd."

"How so?" Norim was hoping his meeting with Trench would ease some of his worry, but instead, the more they talked the worse he felt.

"Well," Trench drawled while shuffling toward another bag of dirt. "I guess I don't know for sure, but I've always had the feeling Seneichi's a bit lonely. You know, he lost his sister a little over a decade ago and since then, he's been all on his own. It's not unusual for him to come by at least three, maybe four times a week." Shrugging his shoulders, Trench picked up another hefty bag, setting atop the previous one on a rather worn looking cart.

"So, if I may ask, how long has it been since he began visiting less?"

Trench blew out a heavy breath, his mind wandering back to the last time he'd actually had a decent conversation with Seneichi. "Well, let's see . . . he came by to ask me about the those new borgdi mushrooms you were thinking about starting – "

"Borgdi mushrooms?" Norim asked, his eyes large and blinking rapidly, "but that would have been late winter to early spring."

"Aye," Trench thought. "I suppose that's true enough. I thought on checking in on him several times, but I've been so damn busy. It seemed like every time I thought about it, something would come up that I couldn't ignore. And, it wasn't like Seneichi wasn't doing his job and bringing in his harvests." Shuffling over toward a book full of numbers and names, Trench briefly looked through the information, nodding as he added, "Just as I thought, he never missed a one."

Head bent low, Norim thought over the new information and felt his stomach roll with acid. "Did you see him when he made his deliveries?"

But Trench shook his head. "If I did, then it was only in passing." Frowning as a memory caught his attention, Trench's small, beady black eyes blinked once. "I do remember hollering out a greeting to him once. Normally, Seneichi would have smiled and come over to talk my ear off, but I remember he just turned and kind of . . . well, he just kind of stared for a minute before giving a tiny wave and going on his way. I guess I just thought he was either busy or having a rough day. Truth be told, I was kind of hoping that his absence meant that he'd found someone to spend his time with."

Right now, Norim wished he could be so optimistic. Glancing toward the door, the healer contemplated his options before asking, "Do you know where Seneichi lives?"

Nodding once, Trench answered, "Yes. It's a bit of a walk and near the caves he tends, but it's near enough." Head tilting the side, Trench felt a frown touch his lips. "Do you think there's something wrong? You know, I like that boy and I'm starting to wonder if I should have been paying a bit more attention. It's just that I've been so damn busy with – "

"I would imagine all is well," Norim lied. Knowing it would be wise to keep his suspicions to himself, at least for now, the healer gave his signature kind smile. "When I saw Seneichi earlier I thought he might be suffering some type of ailment, but if he is meeting his quotas, then most likely it is nothing serious. I would, however, like to stop in and check on him."

Content with the unknown lie, Trench gave Norim directions to Seneichi's home before turning his attention back to the endless bags of soil that needed moving.

::::::::::

Feet quickly moving across the hardened earth, Norim felt his heart hammer within his chest. He'd just been to Seneichi's home and not only was no one there, but it appeared as if it had been empty for some time as the scent of bat youkai was undiscernable to his nose. Perhaps one of the inu's could pick it up, but being a deer youkai, Norim's sense of smell was not nearly as acute.

With Seneichi's home explored, Norim was on his way to the caves the bat youkai toiled within. Most likely Masaru would be angry with him for not going to him first and taking such chances on his own, but Norim was beginning to get the sinking feeling that something was indeed terribly wrong and that time was not a luxury he now possessed.

Eyes scanning the horizon and nose scenting the air, Norim couldn't sense anything in the area. Methodical as always, the healer moved from cave to cave, quickly inspecting them as well as the chickweed root growing at each and every entrance. Although all seemed fine, Norim was far from pleased. Although the plants appeared healthy, there was a distinct absence of any bat youkai scent. If Seneichi were really filling his quota, then even with his lesser sense of smell, Norim should still be able to scent the bat youkai.

The final cave was a much smaller version of the others and appeared in to be in order, but as he bent low over the chickweed plants growing here and inhaled, the healer pulled back, his small fangs glinting brightly as he hissed. Without another thought, Norim turned and began running back toward the palace. The chickweed root was not as it should be and he strongly suspected the plants were useless.

If the chickweed he'd used in Inuyasha's tea was compromised, then so was the entirety of the tea. It would be a small matter to make sure the chickweed Norim received for his medicinal remedies came from this particular lot, and, if that was the case, then someone had intentionally meant for Inuyasha to conceive. It was perhaps the most insidious plot Norim had ever encountered. To try and kill Sesshomaru's mate in such a way . . . the very notion of using such underhanded means . . . it was near inconceivable.

Feet flying across the field, Norim's pulse pounded. If Seneichi really was behind this, then Norim had just informed the bat youkai that Inuyasha was indeed carrying and doing well. Although the healer doubted Seneichi was truly alone behind such a plot, no doubt whoever was would not be pleased to learn that their plan had not worked.

Pushing his legs harder and faster than he had in years, Norim raced through the fields he so casually walked through mere hours before. All around him, the eyes of the workers opened in wide, stunned surprise and yet Norim neither saw nor cared. The only thing the healer cared about now was getting to the palace in time to alert his prince as to the real reason behind his mate's early and nearly deadly, conception.

As he came closer, Norim's breath caught in his throat as he saw Masaru cresting the hill in front of him, his mate running almost as fast as the healer. Nearly slamming into Masaru, Norim grabbed his mate's hand and began pulling him back toward the palace.

Having felt Norim's youkai pulse with distress, Masaru had taken off in the direction of his mate, all the while fearing that something terrible had happened to the one he could not live without. But seeing Norim running faster than he'd possibly ever seen before had changed Masaru's concerns. Quickly matching pace with that of his mate, Masaru demanded, "What is wrong?"

Shaking his head while he continued running, Norim shouted, "No time. I need to speak to Lord Inu no Taisho. Find Prince Sesshomaru and meet me in their private rooms."

Never one to question his mate, especially when Norim was this upset, Masaru kept his mouth shut, his hand squeezing down on that of his distressed mate, offering whatever comfort he could.

::::::::::

Inuyasha grunted while leaning back into the warm, soothing waters of the bath he was currently lounging in. Of course, he'd be damned if he'd tell his mate that it felt this good. Letting out a heavy sigh, Inuyasha felt the corners of his mouth curve down into a deep frown while he muttered a cranky, "He better not hurt dogbreath."

"I am assuming you are speaking of Lord Kouga?"

Quickly sitting up, the water around Inuyasha sloshed violently as he cursed, "Damn-it, Kitanya! What the fuck have I told ya about hangin' around while I'm naked?"

Instead of remorseful pleas, Inuyasha's ears were treated to the light sound of Kitanya's laughter, the sound growing louder as the sliding door to the bath was pushed open ever so slightly. "And I would think that by now, Inuyasha, you would have learned what a waste those words are."

"-Keh," Inuyasha gruffed while easing back into a more comfortable position, a clawed hand automatically coming down to gently lay upon his slightly enlarged abdomen. "If I'd of known you were such a perverted wench, I would have never agreed to be your damn Champion."

"Of that, I am highly doubtful," Kitanya rebuked before adding, "you allow me to do precious little to serve you, please allow me the comfort of knowing that should you need anything, especially in your more . . . _precarious_ state, that I am but a shout away."

Inuyasha felt a blush creep up his cheeks both at the tender edge to Kitanya's voice and the topic of his pregnancy. "-Keh, do whatever ya want. We both know that's what'll happen no matter what I say."

Although he couldn't see it, the smile that was no doubt etched across Kitanya's face came through in her voice. "As always, you have my thanks and gratitude."

Sighing again, Inuyasha flicked a bit of water off one of his ears, his mind once more traveling back to why he was here in the first place.

Hearing the heavy sigh, Kitanya thought the sound had less to do with her presence and more with what she'd heard earlier. Remaining where she was, just outside the door to Inuyasha's bath, the bear youkai leaned against the doorframe as she asked, "Has something bad occurred with Lord Kouga?"

With a low growl, Inuyasha felt the tips of his claws push against a fisted hand. "It damn well better not or Sesshomaru's gonna find his ass sleepin' down the fuckin' hall." Taking a deep breath, the hanyou sank further down into the steaming water. "Sesshomaru's just too damn protective."

"Am I to assume then that this has to do more with something that occurred between you and Lord Kouga?"

"-Keh, all I wanted to do was talk to fleabag for a little bit without Sesshomaru loomin' overhead. It ain't like Kouga would ever hurt me and he don't have one bit of interest in me the way Sesshomaru keeps thinkin'. Dogbreath's got his own mate and Ayame would cut off his balls if he ever even dreamed of touchin' another youkai in that way."

Nodding her head, Kitanya thought she was probably beginning to understand what had happened. "So, you met with Lord Kouga, without Prince Sesshomaru's knowledge?"

Squirming, Inuyasha thought that when Kitanya said it, then somehow it made what he did sound wrong and it wasn't. "I just wanted to talk to him about some things, nothin' more than that." Head hung low; Inuyasha stared down at the rippling water in front of him. "I just . . . I wanted to tell fleabag about Tsuyoshi bein' my sire, about findin' Tessaiga, about . . . well, just about stuff in general."

"Of course. Lord Kouga is your friend and you've both had many things happen in your lives since you've last seen each other, many of which could hardly be written in a letter that had the chance of being intercepted."

"Exactly!" Inuyasha beamed. "God's, you get it, why is it so damn hard for Sesshomaru to understand?"

Leaning her head against the comforting structure of the door, Kitanya's eyes were soft, her smile genuine. "It is because I am your friend and not your mate, Inuyasha. You are everything to Prince Sesshomaru and already he has almost lost you twice – once to the Hakudoshi's abomination and second to the pup you now carry – the pup that he helped create. As a dominant mate, it is Prince Sesshomaru's duty to protect you and in his eyes, he has failed not once, but twice. I doubt he is capable of fighting such a strong instinct to protect and keep you from any and all threats, including those that neither you nor I can see."

Sighing again, Inuyasha's ears tilted back, burying themselves within the dampened strands of his hair. "Yeah, I know, but - "

"But it is still difficult."

"More than just difficult. The jackass can't even stand me smellin' like anything besides him."

Head lifting, Kitanya's eyes went wide and then narrowed with thought. "Is that why you are in the bath at this time of day?"

"-Keh, Sesshomaru told me to go and wash the _wolf's stench_ off of me. I told him he could go straight to hell orderin' me to do somethin' like that, but the longer I stood there arguin', the madder he seemed to get and in the end, I made a deal that I'd go and wash up as long as he didn't do anything stupid like hurtin' Kouga."

"Oh, I see."

Shifting forward, Inuyasha's clawed hands reached for the soap as he muttered, "Better get to it then."

"If you need anything – " head swiveling, Kitanya fell silent, her ears attentive as she ignored the denials of the one who'd saved her, her voice tight as she interrupted Inuyasha's answer, "Are you expecting anyone?"

Stopping all motion, Inuyasha's eyes scrunched in confusion. "What? No, not unless Sesshomaru's already done bein' an ass to Kouga."

Tilting her head up, Kitanya took a cautious sniff of the air, her senses spread out and on alert. All around her, the bear submissive neither scented nor felt anything different, but she knew she heard something . . . and if it was Sesshomaru, then she'd know it. Something was wrong. "Inuyasha, get out of the bath."

The hushed, steady voice of Kitanya was all the hanyou needed to hear. Never once questioning the bear youkai, Inuyasha did just that, easing his body from the water as silently as possible, his hand automatically reaching out to grab not only his robe, but also Tessaiga's hilt.

::::::::::

Kouga wondered if he'd ever be able to speak again without a growl lacing his lips. "God's damn it, Sesshomaru, quit bein' such a complete and total asshole about this."

Similar to Kouga's train of thought, Sesshomaru was beginning to wonder if he'd ever get his raging youkai under control and return his eyes to their normal golden hue. "Have I not warned you, on numerous occasions, that you are not to touch or come near what is mine?"

"Feh," Kouga waved a dismissive hand, "Inuyasha ain't a possession and you damn well know it."

"And are you truly going to stand there and tell this Sesshomaru that you do not view the Lady Ayame in similar terms?"

Mouth open, the protest on Kouga's lips fell flat as he thought of his own mate. The Wolf Lord did not doubt his own mate's capabilities, but even so, Kouga did think of Ayame as belonging to him. All dominant mates did to one extent or another. And, if Sesshomaru and Inuyasha were true mates, then it would be all the worse for the asshole standing in front of him, poison wafting the air with every breath the InuYoukai took. Angered retort turning into a sigh, Kouga scratched the back of his head while easing his body down from the fighting stance he'd been in. "I'll give ya that one, but me and the mutt have been friends a long ass time and you know I'd cut off my hand before I'd raise it to truly hurt him."

"Be that as it may, the fact remains that Inuyasha actively snuck away from those charged with guarding him so that he could meet with you. That activity alone put my mate in a position of danger."

"Well shit." Moving further back into the room, Kouga didn't like the fact that what Sesshomaru was saying actually made sense – at least to some degree. "Well, the mutt wouldn't of had to do that if you were a little bit more understandin' about this shit. Inuyasha knew you'd blow a fluckin' gasket if he asked to speak with me alone so before you go throwin' any more of your damn stones, maybe you outta think about that for a minute."

Instinctually, Sesshomaru felt his muscles tighten as even more red filtered into his eyes. The wolf had just implied that he wasn't being a good mate and properly seeing to the needs of his pregnant submissive. Logically, Sesshomaru knew the insult had been slight, but it hit a little too close to home to be entirely comfortable.

Seeing the Prince of the West's growing anger put Kouga back on alert, but despite the danger, fighting with the prickly InuYoukai wasn't really something the Wolf Lord wanted to do. If he survived the encounter, most likely Ayame would finish the job when he got back to his own lands. His mate would be pissed that he'd come here on a diplomatic mission and wound up blowing the whole thing to hell simply because he couldn't control his damn mouth.

With that thought in mind, Kouga pushed down his pride, at least, to a degree. "Calm the fuck down, Sesshomaru." When that got him little more than a growl, Kouga let loose another sigh before running a clawed hand through his hair. "For the love of . . . you're actually gonna make me say shit I'm gonna regret later." Shoulder's squaring, the Wolf Lord's eyes narrowed. "If you ever repeat this, I'm gonna deny sayin' it until the day I die. You got that? Now, before you go rippin' my throat out for some perceived slight, let me first say that, much to my surprise, you've actually seemed to be a decent mate to the mutt."

Keeping a close watch on the predatory InuYoukai he'd managed to piss off, Kouga was relieved to feel Sesshomaru's pulsing youkai recede, if only a fraction. Taking that as a good sign, the wolf continued. "I ain't happy he's pupped so young, but I think I understand why and know that it wasn't your intent. You may not be real pleased that he and I talked alone, but it gave me a chance to understand some things. Some of what Inuyasha told me was upsettin', but it wasn't the words that I noticed as much as how at peace he seemed to be when sayin' 'em."

Far from appeased, Sesshomaru still felt his youkai recede even further, his logical mind given more room to operate. Knowing the promise he'd made to Inuyasha not to harm the irritating wolf in front of him, Sesshomaru was pleased to have gained a modicum of sanity once more. "You expected differently?"

Kouga just shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure really. You and I both know I had my concerns when he agreed to mate you and what I'm talkin' about don't have nothin' to do with the attack on his life since you two have mated." Head shaking, Kouga thought back on all the times Inuyasha had been beaten to a bloody pulp. "I sort of expected that shit to happen and trust me, it ain't nothin' worse than he's been through in the past. I'm not sayin' I wouldn't like for him to never get the shit kicked out of 'em again, but to think that he's never gonna have to fight again is a bit unrealistic, especially bein' mated to the Heir of the Western Lands. It's a fate all submissive mates gotta deal with when they decide to mate with a powerful dominant. It's why you and I picked the submissives we did. Ayame and Inuyasha are tough as shit and that's a good thing." Quirking a smile, Kouga gave a short laugh. "It might actually give 'em a fighting chance of survivin' bein' mated to us."

Increasingly at ease, Sesshomaru's face retained its icy façade of indifference, but his eyes had indeed returned to their golden luster. "Inuyasha is very strong, but at present, that strength is currently being channeled into the pup growing within him. At this time, he is far too fragile for this Sesshomaru's comfort."

Swallowing hard, Kouga nodded. "Yeah, I think I get that and I'm sorry if my actions put him in any more danger than usual. I . . . I didn't even think about that. I guess I was just bein' selfish. I wanted to talk with the mutt, you know, just him and me to make sure that he really was as satisfied with his life as he was actin'. I've known muttface for a long time and if there's one thing I've learned, that hanyou can cover almost any pain and it's damn hard to know when he's really hurtin'."

"And now, are you satisfied with what you have learned?"

Smiling broadly, Kouga nodded. "Yeah. I don't know how or why, but the mutt really does like bein' your mate. Fuckin' hell, I thought I might vomit all over the damn floor with how goo-goo eyed he got when talkin' about your sorry ass."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, his lips pulled back for some type of scathing comment when he heard the thrum of a set of feet beating against the hall leading to the room he was currently sharing with the wolf. Soon enough those drumbeats were overrun by Masaru's heavy youkai. Turning just in time, Sesshomaru was only slightly surprised no knock had preceded Masaru's entrance.

Pushing the door aside, Masaru gave a quick duck of his head toward Lord Kouga before doing the same to Sesshomaru. "Forgive the intrusion, but Norim's found something."

Without another thought, Sesshomaru strode toward the door, quickly following the tiger youkai down the hall. "Where is Norim now?"

"He went to speak with Lord Inu no Taisho. It is my understanding that Miroku had a meeting with your father and was with him. Norim said he needed to speak with both of them."

Easily judging which direction they were going, Sesshomaru questioned, "Then why are we not headed in the direction of my father's study?"

Quickly looking back over his shoulder, Masaru took a moment to process the fact that Kouga had taken it upon himself to follow but given the sparse information he'd managed to get out of his mate, Masaru thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the Wolf Lord involved as well. "Norim said he wished to speak with Lord Inu no Taisho first, but wanted for us all to meet within your private rooms, where he assumed Inuyasha would be."

At the mention of his mate, Sesshomaru felt his blood chill into something deadly. "This has to do with Inuyasha."

Nodding as he continued walking, Masaru turned yet another corner as he heard the wolf yell, "What the fuck's goin' on with the mutt now?"

Ignoring Kouga, Masaru answered, "Norim didn't want to waste a lot of time speaking with me, but he did say that he was concerned for Inuyasha's safety. I am sorry, but I am uncertain of the details." Hastening his steps, Masaru shot over his shoulder again, "I assume there are still guards posted within the halls leading to your private chambers?"

"That is a question that needs no answer." Now that he knew their destination, Sesshomaru moved up, taking the lead to his own rooms and mate. In truth, he'd added to the number of guards, adding several that were hidden and unknown to even his mate.

::::::::::

Inuyasha leapt, slamming his body into Kitanya and rolling them both out of the way of another attack. Breathing harshly, the hanyou gripped the hilt of Tessaiga within his hand, dismayed that he didn't have the strength to transform the blade any longer. Eyes wide, Inuyasha shifted again, just barely missing the blade that crashed into the floor. "Fuck!"

Crouched low and to the side, Kitanya drew twin blades from deep within her kimono, holding each in front of her chest as she shuffled a little further to the side, her large brown eyes constantly keeping the threat in front of her within view. Although she didn't have a clue who the youkai was that was attacking them, one thing was for sure, he appeared to be driven by a type of insanity that was all consuming. The other thing that seemed to be clear was that the guards in the hall were either dead or had abandoned their duty for there was no answer from her cries for aid.

"Kitanya, you okay?"

As before, Kitanya's eyes remained fixed upon their attacker. "Do not concern yourself with me, Inuyasha."

But Inuyasha was concerned, and not only for Kitanya's safety, but his own. The energy transfers he and Sesshomaru performed were only enough to keep the growing pup within him from sucking his own reserves dry, but the pup was still feeding the most from his hanyou body, leaving Inuyasha horribly vulnerable.

Mouth open and panting, Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he stared at the seemingly mindless youkai attacking them. Although he easily recognized this one as being a bat youkai, Inuyasha was fairly certain he'd never met him before. What he did know was that, just like the creature that had attacked him months ago, this youkai had no scent or aura that he could detect. If his eyes couldn't see or if his ears didn't hear it, it would be as if the thing trying to kill him didn't exist at all.

Eyes wide, Inuyasha watched as the youkai dodged forward again, its movements irregular and unnatural looking, making them increasingly difficult to anticipate. Weaving left, then right, Inuyasha brought Tessaiga's rusty blade up, barely catching the one his attacker sent at his fragile neck. Huffing a hushed, "Shit, that was too damn close," Inuyasha moved to place a low table between the bat youkai and himself.

Still crouched, Kitanya watched the bat youkai attack and held her breath. She'd been training with Lady Sango and was much more defensibly capable than she'd once been, but it was still difficult to figure out how she might best be of aid. Knowing the hanyou, if she became compromised, Inuyasha would wind up sacrificing himself for her and Kitanya could not allow that. Silently cursing, Kitanya wondered once again where in the hell the guards were.

Positioned as he now was, Inuyasha could see the door to his and Sesshomaru's private quarters. But between he and the door stood a table and one psychotic bat youkai. Fortunately, Kitanya was also located between him and the door, which meant she had a shot of getting out of there. "Kitanya, get your ass outta here while you can."

"I am sorry, master, but I can not do that."

 _Master?_ "The fuck you can't!"

But Kitanya wasn't going anywhere. If Inuyasha was stronger, most likely she would have taken him up on the offer and gone for help, but given the hanyou's diminished state, Inuyasha was far too vulnerable and she strongly doubted his ability to fend off the crazed youkai attacking them until further aid arrived. As if to prove her point, the bat youkai lunged for Inuyasha once more.

Blowing out a curse, Inuyasha maneuvered Tessaiga's rusty blade into position, spearing his attacker straight through the chest. "Fuckin' hell," Inuyasha breathed as the bat youkai completely ignored the blade now running him through and instead, pushed forward, impaling himself further upon Tessaiga's blade. Eyes wide, the hanyou saw his emotionless attacker closing in, the bat youkai's own short sword glinting in the surrounding light. In that moment, Inuyasha was certain he was dead and in a last ditch effort to save his pup, rolled himself to the side, his free arm coming around his belly to offer what little protection it could.

Mouth open in a silent scream, Kitanya felt a moment of sheer panic seize her gut, her feet immobile for a split second of disbelief. But hot on the heels of her inaction, the bear submissive surged with anger – anger that the one she cherished above all others, the one who'd saved her life and soul - now had death nipping so closely at his heels. With a roaring growl her clan would have been proud of, Kitanya launched her body forward, leaping across the length of the room and slamming both her blades deep into the chest of Inuyasha's attacker. Unfortunately, just as had happened with Tessaiga, the crazed bat youkai did not even react to his chest being penetrated again.

Horror made Kitanya's eyes widen as she watched the bat youkai raise his arm, a shiny piece of razor sharp metal pointed directly at Inuyasha's chest. Thinking quickly, Kitanya pulled one of her blades from the bat's chest and drove it hard into his wrist, using all her strength and with a mighty roar, Kitanya drove her blade through the attacker's appendage, severing both the hand and the wielder's weapon.

No more had Kitanya heard the satisfying thump of the bat youkai's bloody hand hit the ground than it reared back, throwing her from it's wounded body, the cursed thing reaching down with its one remaining hand to grab the bloodied blade to continue its attack.

Struggling for breath, Inuyasha took the opportunity and pushed his body back a little further. Getting his hands beneath him, the hanyou tried standing, but only managed to stumble a couple of steps before falling back to the ground. Exhausted, Inuyasha kept pushing his body back along the floor, his amber eyes wide and filled with fear as he watched the damned bat youkai grip the slippery blade, raising it again and starting forward with a relentlessness that was far from natural.

Small sword still in hand, Kitanya was gathering her strength for another attack when she felt it: the suffocatingly brilliant youkai of the Prince of the West. Glancing up, Kitanya looked to Inuyasha to see if he felt the same thing and as her eyes met his small frame, the bear submissive felt a satisfied smile stretch across her face as she heard Inuyasha shout, "Sesshomaru!"

::::::::::

Flying down the halls, Sesshomaru barely noted that Miroku, Norim and his father had joined them at some point. Instead, all the InuYoukai could feel was the sudden crushing weight of his mate's fearful youkai pulsing through the halls leading to their rooms. Eyes shot through with crimson, Sesshomaru's teeth and claws elongated as the stripes adorning his body deepened and pulsed with color. With poison scenting the air, the wooden slats he ran across sizzled as the toxic substance rained down from his fingertips. Within the blink of an eye, Sesshomaru was gone.

Racing along the long corridors, Sesshomaru's body flew in front of the other members of their party, leaving them in his wake. As he closed in upon the private sanctuary he and his mate called home, Sesshomaru only peripherally noted the dead bodies of the guards he'd left to protect that which was most precious to him. Not slowing for an instant, the Prince of the West crashed through the door of he and Inuyasha's rooms, the sight greeting his nearly feral eyes twisting something deep within his gut.

Within a fraction of a second, Sesshomaru easily noted Kitanya's relatively unscathed body, her hand and arm bloody but seemingly otherwise unharmed. Within the center of the room, an unknown youkai stood, his back toward the Prince of the West, the tip of Tessaiga's blade protruding from his back. With one handless arm lying uselessly at his side, the youkai was soaked in its own blood, its still intact hand raised and gripping a blood-splattered blade, the business end of the weapon pointing down and aimed at his hanyou as Inuyasha crouched low upon the floor, his mate appearing haggard and beyond the point of exhaustion.

Without further thought, Sesshomaru shot forward, one poison laced hand striking, sinking deep into the attacking youkai's gut while the other came around, grabbing the arm that was raised against his mate. Throwing both their bodies backward, Sesshomaru pulled the bat youkai as far away from Inuyasha as possible. With the movement, Sesshomaru's imbedded hand released its deathly grip, his crimson eyes staring disbelievingly as the bat youkai before him remained standing, seemingly unfazed as the Prince of the West's toxic poison sizzled and burned the bat's belly.

And then, as if he wasn't even in the room, the damned bat youkai's eyes focused in on Inuyasha again, his bleeding and poisoned body poised for another attack. Beyond fury, Sesshomaru raised a single arm, the air around his fingertips singing with power as he began forming his energy whip. Within the span of a single second, the whip formed, its glowing body arcing into the air as the Prince of the West sent the weapon flying, its aim directly at the attacker's neck.

:::::::::::

Seeing Sesshomaru disappear before him, Miroku screamed a belated, "Wait!" but he doubted that even if Sesshomaru heard his cry that the InuYoukai would stop, not when Inuyasha was clearly in danger. Not nearly as quick as the rest of the party, the monk was falling behind as the others also hastened their pace.

Panting, Miroku called out to Inu no Taisho, "My L-Lord . . . you must s-stop him."

Pulling up short, Inu no Taisho stared disbelievingly at Miroku and ordered a clipped, "Explain."

Hands now on his knees, Miroku struggled to catch his breath. "I feel it . . . sorcery is at work here. From what Norim told us regarding the information he's gathered, I believe Seneichi may be the key to getting at Hakudoshi. If Seneichi is already dead and animated through Hakudoshi's sorcery – "

"Then you can use Seneichi's connection to Hakudoshii to travel the dimensions and find him."

"Yes, but I can't do that if the connection has been severed."

Inu no Taisho's eyebrows pulled down in thought. "In otherwords, you need Seneichi relatively intact."

"Yes."

"Shit," Inu no Taisho swore, his eyes traveling down the corridor extending before them.

Not understanding, Kouga was fairly bouncing on the balls of his feet. Anxious to get to his friend, a friend that was obviously in trouble, the wolf couldn't figure out why they'd all stopped in the damn hall. And even more than that, he didn't understand what the fuck Miroku was talking about. "What the hell are we doin' just standin' here?"

Ignoring the wolf, Masaru stepped closer and asked, "What do you need us to do?"

"The impossible. Somehow, I need to get into that room before Prince Sesshomaru destroys the youkai that's attacking Inuyasha." Shaking his head, the monk looked down to the hand housing his wind tunnel. "Even using my powers would take too long."

Although he still didn't really understand, Kouga didn't think at this moment that he really needed all the facts. If the monk needed to get somewhere fast, then there was no other youkai in the world that was better suited to the task.

Without further thought or permission, Kouga darted forward, unceremoniously throwing Miroku over his shoulders and onto his back as he began running full out down the corridor. Although he was pretty sure he'd be able to scent out the right direction, the Palace of the West was nothing but a maze of corridors to his eyes and Kouga knew they didn't have time for him to make a wrong turn. "Tell me which direction."

Wiggling into a more comfortable position, Miroku couldn't believe the speeds they were undoubtedly traveling. Knowing he had little time for anything elaborate, the monk simply gave quick orders of, "Left, right, straight," and so on.

In what seemed like an impossibly short amount of time, Kouga was standing in the battle zone that was once Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's private quarters. Blue eyes wide, the wolf stood there, the air in the room beginning to vibrate with power as Sesshomaru's energy whip began taking form.

Breathing in deeply, Miroku knew they were out of time. Ripping the beads free of his hand, the monk dropped from Kouga's hold. For this to work, Miroku would need to touch Seneichi with his free hand while the one containing his Wind Tunnel was allowed free reign. Knowing Sesshomaru was beyond reasoning with, Miroku doubted he would be able to get the InuYoukai to understand that he needed to grab ahold of the monk so that he could be drawn through the dimensions with them. With that thought in mind, Miroku grabbed Kouga, yanking the wolf with him while ordering, "Grab ahold of Sesshomaru and me at the same time and whatever you do, don't let go."

Contrary to popular belief, Kouga wasn't insane or stupid and getting that close to an obviously pissed off Sesshomaru wasn't anywhere in the wolf's plans for staying alive long enough to create offspring. With that in mind, Kouga spat, "What – "

"Don't argue."

Why he listened, Kouga would never truly understand. Maybe it had something to do with the small glimpse he'd gotten of Inuyasha, huddled on the other side of the room, the hanyou looking pale and in pain. Maybe it was simply his own damn curiosity. But whatever the reason, Kouga did as he was told and lunged toward Hell.

 _Whew . . . lots of action in that one. Well, it was nice to see Kitanya rise to the occasion. She's a tough little spitfire. Only one chapter left :-( and I'll try and post it on thursday. I feel a bit of a sniff coming on as this story draws to a close. I hope you'll all continue reading to the end and that you enjoy these last few moments._

 _Until Thursday, I hope you have a good week._

 _lunamist_


	29. Chapter 29

_Good evening everyone. This is going up later than I wanted, but work ran over tonight and there's not much I can do about that one. Thanks to those that reviewed on the last chapter. I'm glad many of you seemed to like the fight sequence. I never have much confidence writing them as I'm not much of a fighter myself :-)_

 _Well . . . I can't believe we're to the final chapter. I hope you all like the way it ends and that you enjoy reading this last little bit. I'm not sure I have much else to say before hand, so without further ado . . ._

 _Chapter 29 . . ._

Energy whip lighting up the air, and with satisfaction near, Sesshomaru felt a clawed hand grip his leg before the air around him seemed to condense down upon itself, a nauseating tunnel of swirling color and mist pulling him in and through countless dimensions until he was finally released into near pitch black, only the dim light of a few surrounding candle flames illuminating the space. Even in the low light, the Prince of the West was able to witness the bat youkai's head fall to the floor, its body soon following after as his energy whip finally completed its mission. Inhaling deeply, Sesshomaru's lips pulled back in distaste. His hanyou's scent was nowhere to be found. Instead, the disgusting smell of spider filled his nose, the obnoxious odor of wolf tinting its edges.

"Oh my gods," Kouga moaned before retching, the contents of his stomach now adding to the overall stench of the room. "I never wanna fuckin' do that again."

Looking down, Sesshomaru's crimson eyes glowed in the near darkness as he stared at the wolf still gripping his ankle. Growling a low, "Kouga," Sesshomaru heard the chiming of Miroku's staff, drawing his attention up and to the seemingly innocuous monk.

Gaze fixed upon the now dead bat youkai known as Seneichi, Miroku rewrapped the holy beads around his cursed hand. "Well, at least now you all understand why I do not enjoy traveling in such a way." Shifting away from the now truly deceased youkai, Miroku looked from Sesshomaru to Kouga, his trademark grin nowhere to be found as he said, "Welcome to the Wen Kai Caves."

No more had those words passed his lips than all three youkai noticed movement, as if the very walls had come alive. Getting his feet below him, Kouga spun around, putting his back to Sesshomaru and Miroku, a low growl beginning to work up from the pit of his belly. "What the fuck is this place?" Eyes shifting, Kouga now realized that the pit he'd fallen into was covered in thick, sticky webs.

Positioning himself similarly, Miroku took a few steps back. "This, my friend, is Hakudoshi's nest. The sorcerer behind the attacks on not only Inuyasha, but also the entire Western Lands. He is the same spider youkai that schemed to get your clans' involved in a battle they could not possibly win."

Lips pulling back in a snarl, Kouga's demeanor instantly changed from defensive to offensive, his eyes glinting with malevolent fire. "Is that so."

"It is."

"Feh, then I guess there's just one thing to do."

Sighing dramatically, the rings on Miroku's staff chimed as he lowered the weapon. "As much as I detest such things, it would seem that in this case, I would have to agree with you."

Barely listening to the banter going on at his back, Sesshomaru felt divine pleasure course through his raging blood. Finally . . . finally he would be able to destroy that which threatened his mate and home. Hakudoshi would die today and nothing could have soothed his wounded pride more. Despite his near feral state, Sesshomaru recognized his allies, if only distantly. Voice barely distinguishable, the Prince of the West gave his one and only warning. "Hakudoshi is mine. I will kill you if you come between me and my prey."

Bending his head to the side, Kouga heard a satisfactory crack in his neck as his lips pulled back in a snarl. "'Kay, no Hakudoshi, but the rest of these bastards are fair game."

Feeling as if there was nothing more to say, Sesshomaru's own lips pulled back, his fangs glinting in the pale light while the scent of his toxic poison wafted into the room, promising pain. And in that moment, the Prince of the West did something he rarely got the opportunity to do – he released his youkai – all his youkai.

Crouching down, both Miroku and Kouga found it difficult to stand with the weight of Sesshomaru's power. All around them, the walls shook with the Prince of the West's unbridled fury. Sharp movement from a far corner in the room caught Kouga's attention. Head snapping in that direction, the wolf's eyes widened slightly as he saw a flurry of bent legs and glowing red eyes dart from the room they were currently standing within, the spider scurrying off down an unknown corridor.

Hissing, a low, "Hakudoshi," Sesshomaru darted after the fleeing youkai, taking his power with him and allowing Miroku and Kouga the ability to stand again. Unfortunately, that also mean the youkai currently surrounding them were able to do the same.

Back on his feet, Kouga began bouncing again. "So, I guess I don't gotta worry about gettin' sliced and diced goin' after Sesshomaru's prey. That means all these other fucker's are ours. You ready, monk?"

"There is no need to trouble yourself where I am concerned."

"Feh, who said I was troubled?"

Miroku smiled while reaching into his robes, pulling a set of leather gloves out to cover the skin of his hands before reaching deeper into the fabric and retrieving a handful of holy talisman. "I will endeavor to aim well and not purify you."

Kouga's laugh was more a cackle of glee, the scathing retort he'd formulated lost as the first spider youkai attacked.

::::::::::

Blinking once, Inuyasha sat there, desperately trying to absorb what he'd just seen. Sesshomaru had come. His mate had burst through the door just in time to pull that damn bat youkai off him. Sesshomaru had been firing up his energy whip, Inuyasha was sure of it. He'd not only felt it, but just begun seeing the hint of its form and then . . . and then he was gone. Sucking in a deep breath, the hanyou fought down the whine of confused pain running rampant through his soul. Worried beyond anything he'd felt when he'd been attacked, Inuyasha struggled to get his knees beneath him, pushing his body up and wobbling toward where he'd last seen his mate.

Watching Inuyasha struggle, Kitanya also stood before rushing to his side. "Inuyasha, you need to rest."

Amber eyes blown wide, Inuyasha's puppydog ears swiveled upon the top of his head while his nose desperately scented the air. Filtering through the myriad of smells, Inuyasha noted both Kouga and Miroku's scents and forced his mind to focus. Just before Sesshomaru had disappeared, he'd seen something . . . a bright light and what felt like a shift in the room's pressure.

Worried about Inuyasha's obviously agitated state, Kitanya pulled at the sleeve of his robe, only to have the hanyou rip his arm away. "Inuyasha, please, you need to – "

"What I need to do is find my damn mate!" Inuyasha screamed, his skin near ashen. "Where the fuck did he go? What did that damn bat do with him?"

Inu no Taisho entered the room in time to hear his nephew's frazzled voice. Forcing his own concerns for his son and heir's safety from his mind, the Lord of the West's voice was calm and soothing as he answered, "Inuyasha, with any luck, Sesshomaru is where he should be, doing what must be done."

Completely unsatisfied with that answer, Inuyasha's claws curled into tight fists. "What the fuck does that mean?"

Moving further into the room, Inu no Taisho took a brief moment to survey the damage done and to note that, although both Kitanya and Inuyasha looked worn and pale neither seemed further injured. Still, the bear submissive was right, the hanyou looked as if he was about ready to fall over and it was in everyone's best interest to get Inuyasha to at least sit. "What that means, Inuyasha, is that not all is as you fear. While it is true that things did not happen as smoothly as I would have liked, Sesshomaru's apparent disappearance was actually to plan."

Blinking once, Inuyasha swayed ever so slightly. " _Plan_? What kind of plan? Damn-it! Where did the asshole go?"

At his back, Inu no Taisho felt Masaru and Norim enter the room, both quickly cataloging the situation. Trying to remain calm, Inu no Taisho stepped closer still. "Inuyasha, I will explain everything, but Kitanya is correct when she says you need to rest – "

"Fuck you! I'm fine, now tell me where Sesshomaru is!" Panting, Inuyasha's vision was becoming hazy, little stars dancing around the edges of his sight. Heart thumping deep within his chest, the hanyou thought he was going to go crazy if someone didn't tell him where Sesshomaru was, if his mate was alive or . . . gods, he couldn't even complete that sentence. With panic beginning to set in, Inuyasha's breath became shorter and shorter, his vision even hazier until the room in general began spinning.

Easily seeing the signs, Inu no Taisho shot forward, catching Inuyasha as the hanyou's strength finally gave out. Wrapping his nephew within the comfort of his furs, the Lord of the West knew his son would be livid when he came back to find his mate covered in another dominant's scent, but for the time being, it was necessary.

Holding Inuyasha's body close, the Lord of the West ordered Norim over and soon the healer's hand was aglow with a warm blue light. With his examination complete, Norim's eyebrows furrowed as he sat back, the warmth of his own mate's arms encircling his waist. "Beyond some bruising and strained muscles, he is not injured, but I am afraid Inuyasha's youkai is near exhaustion once again."

Ears twitching, Inuyasha could barely open his eyes, a mere slant of amber showing through thick eyelashes. "Sessh . . . where . . . "

Pulling Inuyasha in closer, Inu no Taisho began gently rocking his body, the Lord of the West's voice little more than a soft lullaby. "The one attacking you was being controlled by sorcery. We are all assuming it was Hakudoshi's doing, but regardless, Miroku was able to use Seneichi's body and the connection it had with the one behind the sorcery to locate their point of destination. As a dimensional youkai, Miroku used his Wind Tunnel to transport both he and Sesshomaru, and most likely Lord Kouga as well, to this location. No doubt my son is currently killing those responsible as we speak."

Inuyasha wasn't exactly sure who this _Seneichi_ youkai was that Inu no Taisho spoke of, but he figured it was the crazy bat that had attacked him. "He . . . he's c-comin' back?"

The Lord of the West's chest rumbled with something between a growl and a laugh. "Of course he's coming back. My son and heir does not fail and today will be no different, especially where your safety is concerned. Have faith in your mate for he shall always come back to you."

Eyes drifting, Inuyasha couldn't keep his lids open any longer and slipped away into blissful nothingness. Staring down at his nephew's all too pale face, the Lord of the West asked, "How long do we have?"

Head shaking, Norim wasn't sure. "I don't know, but the sooner Sesshomaru gets back, the better." Lips curving down into a deep frown, the healer hated the words he was about to speak, but found them necessary. "My Lord, if . . . if Prince Sesshomaru is _delayed_ in his return, could you do the energy transfer?"

"I don't know and hope not to find out. It is possible, but it is also possible that the only reason it works is either because they are mated, or the pup recognizes its sire's youkai and accepts it as a safe source of food. There is a very real possibility that the pup will reject my energy or worse. For now, it shall be an option of last resort."

Head bowed, Norim nodded before lifting his head and letting his eyes scan the room before returning his attention to Kitanya. "Are the remaining rooms still intact?"

Slowly, the tremble wracking Kitanya's body began fading. "Aye, to my knowledge the bedroom and bath should be fine."

"Good." Standing, Norim briefly glanced at his mate before looking to Inu no Taisho. "It would be good to wash Seneichi's blood from the room, including that which has fallen on both Inuyasha and Kitanya. Since we have little knowledge as to when Prince Sesshomaru, Miroku and Lord Kouga might return, I would suggest using that time productively."

"Agreed." Swiveling his head, Inu no Taisho spoke to Kitanya. "I know you must be tired – "

"There is no need to ask further." Raising her body, Kitanya felt her heart ease at having a mission – being useful for something besides sitting and fretting. "Healer Norim and I can clean Inuyasha and get him to bed. After that, I'll clean myself and begin on the room." Swiveling to the side, Kitanya gave a low bow in Masaru's direction. "Forgive the impudence, but could I ask that you remove the broken and unsalvageable items from the room while I see to Inuyasha's needs."

"It is no impudence." Gaze drifting between the blade still tightly clutched within Kitanya's bloody fingers to the dismembered hand lying upon the floor, Masaru's eyebrows rose. Clawed finger pointing at the corpse-like hand, Masaru inclined his head. "Lady Kitanya, am I to assume that is your handiwork?"

Quickly glancing in the direction of Masaru's line of sight, Kitanya's face pulled tight in disgust. "It is. I only wish I had gotten the opportunity to take them both."

Barking out a quick shot of prideful laughter, Masaru's chest puffed out even more than usual. "I will have to praise Lady Sango's tutelage when next I see her."

"Oh," Kitanya blushed. "Well . . . I . . . "

Striding forward, Masaru slapped the small bear submissive on the back, almost tumbling Kitanya forward onto the floor. "Well done. If you ever tire of serving Inuyasha, seek me out as I've no doubt I can find a suitable place for you within my ranks."

"I . . . uh, thank you, but the only way I shall ever leave Inuyasha's side is through his order to do so or when death takes me."

With a nod, Masaru acknowledged the sentiment. "As it should be, still the offer stands."

Giving a bow, Kitanya said a brief, "Thank you," before turning to the Lord of the West. "If I might ask you to carry Inuyasha to the bath?"

Not bothering to answer, Inu no Taisho turned that direction, both Kitanya and Norim following as Masaru turned to begin doing what he could to return the room to rights.

::::::::::

Reaching up, Kouga wiped his brow, a trail of his own blood following in the wake of his hand. "Fuckin' hell, it was damn hard keepin' up with all those legs."

Gripping his left arm, Miroku's own gloved hand was tainted a shade of crimson. "Indeed, they do seem to have an advantage in the appendage category."

"Feh," Kouga grumbled, his leg lashing out and kicking a dismembered spider leg further from his body. "And that damn sticky-ass web shit. Damn these fucker's aren't just creepy but a pain in the ass." Raising his arms and looking down, Kouga growled. "Ayame's gonna be pissed. I can't even guess how long its gonna take to get all this cobweb shit outta my furs."

Looking down at his own robes, Miroku thought he had to agree. "Perhaps I shall simply burn these and procure new garments."

Kouga wished it would be that easy for him, but his furs were not something so easily discarded. Head turning down the hall Sesshomaru had run off to earlier, Kouga's eyes pulled down into tight slits. "It's been awhile since I've felt the bastard's youkai surge. You think he's finally finished?"

Scratching his chin, Miroku leaned his tired body against a rocky outcropping. He and Kouga had finished off their prey some time ago and since then, they'd occasionally felt pulses of Sesshomaru's enraged youkai, but it had been a larger space of time since they'd experienced the last one. "I believe it is likely that Prince Sesshomaru eliminated Hakudoshi some time ago and is currently ridding the caves of any other possible threat." Frowning, Miroku shook his head as he added, "Or, at least those he can find."

Flicking the blood from his claws, Kouga briefly turned to look at the contemplative face the monk was making before turning his attention back to his still bleeding forehead. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Miroku sighed. "The Wen Kai Caves have never been fully explored by outsiders, and that is for good reason. Far too many have lost their lives to this underground hell. From what I understand, the caves are little more than a puzzle of corridors and traps. If one doesn't loose themselves to the architecture, then one is sure to die by other, less pleasurable means." Lifting a sandaled foot, Miroku shook a rock from inside, his attention momentarily held by that small pebble. "It would be nigh to impossible to totally eradicate the creatures dwelling within these caves and even if it were, this area seems to attract those that wish to conceal themselves and as such would no doubt soon garner new residents."

Giving a huff, Kouga abruptly sat, his ass hitting the ground in a most unceremonious way. "So, what your sayin' is – "

"Basically Prince Sesshomaru is simply blowing off steam."

As if conjured from the air itself, Sesshomaru's ever graceful form strode into the room, his clawed toes expertly maneuvering between the bits of spider littering the ground. "This Sesshomaru was doing far more than that, monk."

Head sharply lifting, Miroku stayed perched upon his rock. Ignoring the jibe, the monk asked, "It is done then?"

"Naraku's prodigy, the sorcerer known as Hakudoshi, has been destroyed."

Pushing his body up and off the rocky ground, Kouga gave a grunt of satisfied pain. "Good to know." Disgusted eyes traveling the room, the wolf looked to Miroku and asked, "So, does that mean we can get the fuck outta this hole now?"

Finally pushing off the place he'd been sitting, Miroku gave a slow nod before looking to Sesshomaru. "Is there anything more you wish to do here?"

"No. I have done what was necessary." Eyes boring holes into the monk, Sesshomaru barely noted the carnage within the room they were now standing. Later, he would undoubtedly hear the wolf and monk regale tales of how many spider youkai they'd been confronted with and eliminated from the world of the living, along with the wounds they'd incurred in such dramatic battle. But at that moment, Sesshomaru could have cared less. All he wanted was to return to his mate and make certain Inuyasha was well.

Whispering a, "Praise Buddha," Miroku moved closer to his companions, his fingers already coming up to undo the holy beads keeping his mighty Wind Tunnel at bay.

"Oh, fuck no! You tellin' me that's how we're gettin' back?" Already Kouga was beginning to look a little green around his ears.

"Lord Kouga," Miroku's voice was calm and soothing, "were you paying no attention earlier when I informed you of the layout of the Wen Kai Caves? If you attempted to find an opening to the surface, most likely you would die long before you ever felt the sun upon your skin again."

"You mean you don't even know where we are in these damn things?"

Miroku only shook his head. "No. I simply followed the connection of sorcery between the master, Hakudoshi and his puppet, Seneichi. I no more know how deep we are within the earth than you. What I do know is how to travel the dimensions and return us to the palace. Whether or not you decide to travel those same dimensions with me or choose to take your chances on finding your own way out is your own decision."

"Damn," Kouga grumbled before reaching out and taking hold of the monk's shoulder. "Let's get this shit over with."

Walking to what was left of Seneichi's body, Sesshomaru wrapped his hand around Tessaiga's hilt, the sizzle of his flesh adding to the aroma filling the small space. With his mate's sword in one hand, Sesshomaru used the other to grip Miroku's other shoulder.

Feeling both hands upon him, Miroku took a deep breath and ordered once more, "Don't let go," before removing the final bead from his hand, the cloth slipping free and exposing the gift and curse of his youkai parentage.

::::::::::

"He's looking worse," Masaru muttered into Norim's ear.

"I know." And, he did. But what Norim also understood was that not only did the hanyou's physical appearance look worse, but also both Inuyasha and the pup's youkai were barely detectible. In essence, they were out of time. "My Lord – "

Sighing, Inu no Taisho sat heavily in a nearby chair. He'd been hoping Sesshomaru would be back by now, that he wouldn't have to make this choice. In theory, him doing the energy transfer might work, but sorcery was a tricky business and so was Inuyasha's pregnancy. The simple fact was that none of them knew what would happen if he offered up his own youkai energy. At best, it could work. At worst, the pup's youkai might reject him and to do so, it would most likely need to feed even heavier upon Inuyasha's power – a power that was almost non-existent at this point. Still, if they did nothing . . . standing, the Lord of the West began making his way toward the drawer where the energy transfer stone was kept.

Opening the drawer, Inu no Taisho reached for the innocuous looking cloth wrapped around shimmering amethyst. Pulling the stone from the cloth, all eyes within the room focused in on its gleaming hue. Closing his fingers, the Lord of the West tightened his grip upon the stone and turned toward the bed. Looking down at Inuyasha's ashen body and labored breathing, Inu no Taisho knew the inevitable had come. Time, as they say, was up.

Moving forward, Norim felt his Lord's hesitance and offered, "I believe it is the only option left, I – "

"No," Inu no Taisho shook his head. "Whatever may happen, the responsibility of it is mine and mine alone to bear. Should things go poorly, you will all leave this room and none of you will interfere when I am forced to deal with Sesshomaru."

Pulling in a hissing breath, Masaru took a step forward. "My Lord, you – "

"My son's fate is for me and me alone to decide. More than any within this room, Masaru, you should know what will happen to Sesshomaru should Inuyasha perish. For the safety of all, I will be forced to act." What Inu no Taisho didn't say was that he wasn't certain he was strong enough any more to actually do such a thing.

Opening his mouth, Masaru wanted to offer some words of comfort, but found them lacking and so instead, he simply bowed his head, his feet carrying him back from the scene about to unfold.

Sucking in a deep breath, Inu no Taisho's eyes briefly met the large, worried ones of Kitanya. Offering a small smile, the Lord of the West set the stone over Inuyasha's belly, his own large palm hovering just above as he began the process of collecting his own youkai energy and guiding it down to that singular hand. The stone was just beginning to glow with its unearthly light when another light flooded the adjacent room, Sesshomaru's youkai energy pulsing back within the Lands of the West.

Pulling his hand back, Inu no Taisho followed all other eyes in the room, all looking to the doorway as Sesshomaru walked through, his golden eyes quickly scanning the room before striding to the edge of the bed. Seeing his son's actions, the Lord of the West quickly backed up, giving Sesshomaru the room he needed. Without question or hesitation, Sesshomaru's hand went to the stone, his own youkai energy pooling within his palm and lighting the stone up as it did its job and began sucking the life from one youkai to feed another.

::::::::::

Lying within their bed, Sesshomaru held his mate within his arms, mokomoko surrounding Inuyasha's body as the hanyou peacefully slept. Clawed fingers raking through cottony-white strands of hair, the pads of Sesshomaru's fingers began making circular motions around a lax puppydog ear. Reclined against a myriad of pillows, the Prince of the West only vaguely lamented the fact that he hadn't had the opportunity to wash the stench of spider from his body. But when he'd walked through the doors to their room and seen his father standing over his failing mate, the Lord of the West's hand stretched over the stone his mother had given them . . . Sesshomaru had done what was necessary. Unfortunately, between the fight within the Wen Kai Caves and the exhorbanent amount of energy both his mate and growing pup needed had left Sesshomaru feeling unusually tired. Sesshomaru had often wondered what the limit of his youkai was and it seemed he was currently testing those boundaries.

And so, the Prince of the West laid, his head and back cradled within the warmth and comfort of he and Inuyasha's bed while his mate was safely tucked within his arms. Breathing in deeply, Sesshomaru pulled in Inuyasha's scent, the intoxicatingly sweet aroma overriding the noxious stench of death that still clung to his own body.

Leaning back, Sesshomaru tightened his hold just a little bit more, both he and his youkai needing as much reassurance as they could possibly get that their mate was well. In response, Inuyasha shifted, his furry ears twitching ever so slightly as the sleepy haze began lifting. Feeling the stirrings of wakefulness, Sesshomaru resumed the massaging action of his fingers along the base of one of his mate's ears.

With sleep fading, Inuyasha began making sense of the world around him, the scents assaulting his nose both soothing and alarming. The most powerful and prominent smell was that of Sesshomaru, but mixed within was the coppery hue of blood and spider. But surrounding it all was the damp, musty smell of earth and rock. With his nose a bastion of confusion, Inuyasha concentrated on his other senses: the feel of strong fingers gently kneading the base of an ear, the steady thud of a strong heart below his ear, and the wondrous feel of Sesshomaru's youkai surrounding and consuming his own body. Amber eyes flicking open, Inuyasha tilted his head, his orbs connecting with the brilliant gold of his mate.

Realizing he was indeed safe within Sesshomaru's arms and in their own room and bed, Inuyasha's lips curved up into a gentle smile as he whispered a quiet, "Hi."

Vaguely amused, Sesshomaru answered an equally quiet, "Hello."

Wiggling within Sesshomaru's embrace, Inuyasha scooted further up his mate's body, the action forcing more of the surrounding scents into his system and causing his nose to scrunch up in displeasure. "No offense, but you kinda stink."

Sesshomaru's normally blank mask slipped into one of distaste. "When I returned, I did not have time to remove Hakudoshi's stench from my body."

Quickly getting his hands under him, Inuyasha pushed his body further up, relieved when Sesshomaru loosened his hold enough for him to do so. Hearing Hakudoshi's name brought back the memories of what had just happened - both the attack and Sesshomaru's disappearance. Remembering how his mate had simply vanished before his eyes brought back the fear Inuyasha had felt earlier, along with the accompanying anger. "Where the fuck did you go? One minute you were there and the next . . . gods above, Sesshomaru, I thought that stupid bat youkai had done somethin' with ya."

Easily hearing the anxiety and pain in Inuyasha's voice, Sesshomaru overlooked the rage in his mate's voice to address Inuyasha's deeper concerns. "I regret that there was no time to explain. In truth, I was far too lost to my youkai to realize the opportunity that had presented itself. I am ashamed to admit that if it had not been for the monk and wolf's quick actions, I would have missed yet another opportunity to slay Hakudoshi."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Inuyasha thought he remembered Kouga's scent right before Sesshomaru disappeared, but it was all a little foggy. "What do they have to do with anything?"

Sitting up completely, Sesshomaru somehow managed to get both he and Inuyasha off the bed. Despite his depleted reserves, the InuYoukai was more than capable of carrying his mate as he began making their way to the bath.

Thinking Sesshomaru was just trying to keep from explaining something else to him, Inuyasha began struggling, only to be hushed by mokomoko tightly wrapping around his body, Sesshomaru's commanding voice demanding that he be still. "I've no intention of keeping things from you, but as stated earlier, my body and fur are ripe with the scent of spider and it is most distasteful. I will explain what happened while we bathe."

Huffing, Inuyasha stopped his movements and settled. "Fine, but ya don't have to carry me. I can walk just fine on my own."

Bringing up a free hand, Sesshomaru gently pushed a section of Inuyasha's wayward hair from his hanyou's face. "You would deny this Sesshomaru the pleasure of carrying you?"

"W-what? Oh . . . well I – " blush coloring his face, Inuyasha's attention was suddenly caught by the blistered and burnt palm of Sesshomaru's hand. Quickly snatching the appendage, Inuyasha brought Sesshomaru's flesh closer so that he could inspect the wound. "How did this happen?"

Ignoring the burn, Sesshomaru allowed Inuyasha to continue holding onto his wrist. "It seems as if Tessaiga still will not tolerate any other hand but yours."

" _Tessaiga_ ," Inuyasha whispered. "But . . . "

"I will explain everything momentarily." Reaching the bathing room, Sesshomaru set Inuyasha on his feet and quickly began disrobing. "For now, nothing would please this Sesshomaru more than to remove this unpleasant scent."

Nodding, Inuyasha worried his bottom lip with a fang while easily sliding out of his own robe and following Sesshomaru into the warm waters. Having only just entered, the water was just far enough up to cover the soft furs of his groin when Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru's hand go around his ass, his mate's claws pressing in ever so slightly against the tender flesh as the Prince of the West buried his face against the swell of the hanyou's abdomen. Looking down, Inuyasha's large amber eyes blinked before resting the palm of his hand upon the crown of Sesshomaru's head, a barely audible, "Sesshomaru?" whispering from his lips.

Inhaling deeply, Sesshomaru felt the tension in his shoulders ease. "Do you know how close I came to losing you once more?"

"-Keh, you know I don't die that easily. Besides, I could say the same shit about you."

Finally easing away, Sesshomaru stared up at his mate; his golden eyes alight with emotion. "This Sesshomaru does not die easily either."

Inuyasha fought the smile threatening his lips before answering, "Well then, I guess it's a good thing we're both tough because I kinda doubt this'll be the last time we gotta survive some crazy jackass."

Pushing further into the deeper end of the bath, Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha with him, submerging both their bodies. For years he had been criticized about not picking a mate, and still Sesshomaru had held out, confident that not just any youkai would do, not for him. And here, leaning against his side, was his reward for his patience – Inuyasha. Though he may hate and fight against it, Sesshomaru knew his hanyou was right. Hakudoshi was defeated, but others would come to take his place and they would be no less vicious in their attacks. The leaders of the four nations would always be targets, as would be their mates. Staring down at the seemingly innocuous InuHanyou by his side, few would ever imagine the well of strength Inuyasha contained and yet it was undoubtedly there.

With a sense of pride pulsing through his body, Sesshomaru began the task of bathing his body, more than pleased when he felt Inuyasha's hands glide along the planes of corded muscle lining his back as his mate aided him in removing the lingering remnants of the Wen Kai Caves from his skin. And it was there, sitting in that bath, that Sesshomaru began relating both the circumstances and outcome of what had occurred. Of course, Inuyasha had been furious on a number of occasions, but in the end, his hanyou had understood and it seemed the only real, lingering anger was in regards to the fact that he hadn't been able to participate in Hakudoshi's final moments.

Only when Inuyasha was certain he could no longer smell anything but the scent of his mate did he deem them ready to leave the bath. With little more than towels clinging to their bodies, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru returned to their room, neither surprised to learn that in their absence, Kitanya had changed the sheets and furs upon their bed, a light meal of both cooked and freshly killed rabbit sitting on a nearby plate along with two steaming chunks of fresh bread and a pot of tea.

Quickly tucking into the food, the two Inu's crawled back into bed, Inuyasha settling down across Sesshomaru's chest while mokomoko curved up and around him, easily cupping his ass and teasing his balls. Slightly flushed face pushed into Sesshomaru's chest, Inuyasha began feeling his length harden. "You know your fur's perverted, don't ya?"

Eyebrows arching, Sesshomaru looked as innocent as a powerful as fuck InuYoukai could. "This Sesshomaru has no idea of what you are speaking."

"-Keh, that so?" Yawning, Inuyasha was too sleepy to argue, or do much of anything else for that matter. Irritated that he'd spent the last gods only knew how long asleep and still couldn't manage much more than a half-hard erection, Inuyasha grumbled, "Sorry, but I think I'm still too damn tired."

Never once stopping the motion of his fur, Sesshomaru's hands began making soothing circles along Inuyasha's back. "That is more than understandable. Rest would do us both good. Both Masaru and Lady Sango are standing guard just outside our rooms so that we may regain our strength. It would be disrespectful of their time if we do not take advantage of the opportunity."

Already half asleep, Inuyasha's hushed voice whispered a quiet, "'Kay," while his hips made small movements, rubbing his waking cock against that of his mate, the motion and contact more soothing than sexual.

With Inuyasha's body intimately draped across his own, Sesshomaru felt peace dig its way into his soul. Never had he imagined his life could be this full and warm. His mate and pup were both safe and strong. As the dominant mate, he'd protected his submissive and Inuyasha was both physically and mentally well. Removing Hakudoshi from the world had not only led to the safety of his family, but the Western Lands as well. Today, Sesshomaru decided, had been a good day.

:::::::::

 _Several months later . . ._

Back straight; none would have ever guessed that the Prince of the West had been sitting in the same position for well over seven hours. Face an apathetic mask, Sesshomaru listened to yet another of the West's inhabitants as they spoke of whatever issue they wished him to intervene with. At his side, Inuyasha was less immobile and shifted every now and then as his very pregnant mate tried to find a position that was more comfortable. In his effort to help, Sesshomaru twisted mokomoko until the edge of the fur was beneath Inuyasha's ass, lifting the hanyou from the floor and offering his mate a little more comfort. In reward, he heard the softest of sighs slip from his mate's lips as Inuyasha's claws began petting his fur.

In the back of his mind, Sesshomaru felt the slightest twinge of guilt pulse. This late in his pregnancy, Inuyasha would surely be more comfortable lying within their bed, but he'd long ago learned that his hanyou's presence was necessary. The needs of the Western Lands would not wait for his mate to give birth and Sesshomaru did not do well when he and Inuyasha were separated for long hours at a time. When his hanyou was present, Sesshomaru felt calm and made decisions with a clarity of mind he'd rarely experienced in the past. Although not all were pleased with his decisions, in the end, they proved to be in the best interest of all involved. Through Inuyasha's presence, Sesshomaru had gained a wisdom he'd never thought possible.

And it was largely due to Inuyasha that his duties had expanded even further. The formalization of the treaty between the West and the Northern and Mountain Wolf Tribes had allowed further trade into those once off limit areas. As a consequence, those living on the opposite side of wolf lands suddenly found the Western Lands open to them, providing new opportunities for those youkai and humans as well as the Western Lands themselves. Unfortunately for Sesshomaru, that also meant endless hours of compromise and negotiation not only with these new travelers, but the Wolf Tribes as well. It was an assignment that Inu no Taisho had very happily turned over to his son and nephew.

Keeping an ever-present ear on the conversation before him, Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha shift again and knew his mate's physical tolerance was quickly dissipating. Even now, his hanyou would hold his silence and continue in his own misery so that he would not interfere with Sesshomaru's task. As such, it was up to the Prince of the West to monitor Inuyasha's state of health and as tactfully as possible, remove his hanyou from situations that were taxing his already diminished body.

With practiced ease, Sesshomaru began steering the current conversation to a close. Giving the barest tilt of his head, the Prince of the West watched the youkai exit, leaving him alone with his mate.

Watching the back ends of yet another pair of youkai leave, Inuyasha shifted his weight and allowed some of the discomfort to show on his face. Settling in again, the hanyou was just about to ask if they were finally done when Jaken tottered in, the squeak in his voice even more grating to Inuyasha's frazzled nerves. "Prince Sesshomaru, the designated leader of – "

"Jaken."

Beak hitting the floor, Jaken bent low. "Yes my prince?"

"This Sesshomaru will see to no other requests today."

Head lifting, Jaken's bulbous eyes blinked, his beak-like mouth opening to protest but the words stuck in his throat when he looked up. The kappa had been expecting another of Sesshomaru's icy glares, but instead, his prince was staring down at the top of Inuyasha's head, an odd sort of concern coloring his gaze. Quickly realizing that he'd already been dismissed, Jaken stood, bowing low as he backed away. "I shall inform those waiting." And with nothing further, Jaken scurried from the room, determined to attend whatever needs the waiting youkai might demand.

Barely recognizing the fact that Jaken had left, Inuyasha gave a low groan. "So, are we really done for today?"

Standing, Sesshomaru used mokomoko to help lift his hanyou from the ground, his lips thinning into a line of concern when Inuyasha wobbled slightly. "Inuyasha, are you in need of another energy transfer?" The question was not without merit. As the months passed and their pup grew, the amount of youkai their seed required steadily increased. Currently, it was not unheard of for them to use the energy stone twice within a single rise of the sun and moon.

Head shaking, Inuyasha let a frown slip past his lips. "No . . . I don't think so. I mean, I'm tired, but it feels kinda different than normal." Slipping a hand around his body, Inuyasha absently rubbed his lower back. With his abdomen now heavy with their pup, the hanyou found the physical strain upon his body uncomfortable.

Blowing out a deep sigh, Inuyasha began shuffling forward. "I just think that maybe I need to get in a different position for awhile or somethin'."

"As you wish," Sesshomaru answered, mokomoko already taking up its normal residence across his mate's shoulders. "Would you like a bath drawn?"

"No," Inuyasha shook his head. "I think I just wanna lie down for awhile."

Inside, Sesshomaru felt anxiety take root. Normally it was akin to pulling teeth to get Inuyasha to admit that he needed rest. The fact that his hanyou was admitting to such a need so readily was more than a little troubling. Keeping his concerns to himself, Sesshomaru began guiding Inuyasha from the room, their pace slow and laborious, as his hanyou had long ago demanded that he not be carried through the halls of the Western Palace.

When they finally did reach their private quarters, Sesshomaru laid his mate within their bed, his alarm increasing when Inuyasha's eyelids shuddered closed within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru's unease only grew as the hours passed and Inuyasha's sleep was anything but restful. Although still asleep, his hanyou couldn't seem to get comfortable and soon there was a fine sheen of sweat dripping from Inuyasha's brow. Seeing his mate's glistening skin, Sesshomaru went to his desk and quickly scribbled a message for the Lord of the West:

 _Father, I believe it is near time. Please send word to Lady Shayou._

 _Sesshomaru_

Handing the message to one of the guards outside their door, Sesshomaru ordered, "Instruct healer Norim that I require his services and then give this to Lord Inu no Taisho." Barely waiting for an acknowledging bow from the guard, Sesshomaru went back to his mate, a cool washcloth in his hand as he began removing the sweat from Inuyasha's skin. At the feel of the cloth, Inuyasha's eyes opened, a flash of pain racing across his eyes before the hanyou could shove the emotion down. "S-Sesshomaru?"

Perching his body along the side of the bed, Sesshomaru moved the already sweat soaked hair from Inuyasha's face. "I am here."

"I . . . " face scrunching, Inuyasha felt pain arc across his back and abdomen. "S-shit . . . I think . . . I think it might be time."

Inside, Sesshomaru felt fear pushing at the edges of his soul and steadfastly refused to succumb to the emotion. "I thought as much and have already sent for Norim. I have also informed my father and he will send word to Shayou."

Even through his pain, Inuyasha managed a chuckle. Over the past few months, he'd kept his word to the Lady of the West and written her several letters. He always allowed Sesshomaru to read them and in Inuyasha's mind, they were full of a hell of a lot of nothing. But it was this sort of thing, the seemingly mundane actions and interactions of her one and only son, that Lady Shayou desired. Although the letters he received in return were much more abbreviated and clipped, Inuyasha was beginning to like the Lady of the West in ways he imagined his mate never would. It was a rare occasion indeed when Sesshomaru referred to Shayou as, _mother_ , and when he did use that term, it was normally meant in a much more derogatory way than when he referred to her as either, _the Lady of the West, or Shayou._

Pushing up and turning, Inuyasha winced at the achy feeling his body seemed locked within. Now on his back and propped up a little, the hanyou rubbed a hand over his abdomen, completely and utterly at a loss as to how on earth it was time for his pup to enter the world. As confident as he'd been, Inuyasha had wondered on several occasions if this day would truly ever arrive and in some ways, the fact that it had seemed too surreal to comprehend.

Still staring at his abdomen, Inuyasha stated, "I can't believe it's time." Raising his head, the hanyou latched eyes with his mate. "It don't seem real."

Inching closer, Sesshomaru placed his own hand atop Inuyasha's. "Once more, you have done the seemingly impossible. None would have thought it possible for one as young as yourself to have been able to carry our pup to term."

But Inuyasha shook his head. "I woudn't of survived if it hadn't been for that energy transfer stone thing."

"Even so, had it not been for your determination to carry our offspring, the energy stone would have made little difference."

Inuyasha wasn't so sure and he was even less sure he deserved the kind of pride he could so readily see in Sesshomaru's eyes. Regardless, the next contraction hit and sent a wave of pain shuddering through his body. Eyes pinched, Inuyasha gritted his teeth and rode out the agony until the cramping subsided. Blowing out a breath, the hanyou was about to ask where Norim was when the healer walked through the door.

Quickly understanding what was occurring, Norim barely gave a nod in Sesshomaru's direction before heading to Inuyasha's side. Hand outstretched, the healer gathered his youkai energy, focusing it in on the patient's abdomen. With a satisfied look on his face, Norim pulled his hand back before addressing Inuyasha. "When did the contractions begin?"

Inuyasha thought on it and was ready to say, "Just a few minutes ago," when Sesshomaru answered, "I believe they started three hours ago."

Head turning, Inuyasha's eyes went wide. "What? But I just woke up and – "

"You were restless while attempting sleep. At first I assumed it to be simply due to the long day, but as time wore on, it was obvious there was more to your symptoms."

Muttering a quiet, "Oh," Inuyasha rubbed at his belly again.

Seemingly pleased with the news, Norim raised the bag he'd carried with him, placing it on the bed next to Inuyasha's legs. "Kitanya should be awakened for I will need her assistance."

Glancing at Inuyasha first, Sesshomaru strode from the room, quickly returning and resuming his place at his mate's side. Not long after, Kitanya came through the door that once led to Inuyasha's private rooms, the space now transformed into an awaiting nursery. Looking up, the hanyou managed a small smile in the bear submissive's direction. "Looks like somebody got tired of waitin' to come out and meet all you weirdo's."

Softly laughing, Kitanya bent over Inuyasha and placed a light kiss upon his brow. "Perhaps some of us are stranger than others, but regardless, your pup's life will be full of excitement."

"Ain't that the tr . . . fuck . . . " Inuyasha hissed, another pain shooting through his back and up his sides.

Motions now much hastier, Norim began pulling items from his bag, laying them out on a nearby table. "As we discussed earlier, giving Inuyasha anything for the pain could potentially damage the pup." Giving an apologetic glance at the hanyou, Norim continued, "Since Inuyasha is male, I'm afraid there is but one way for this pup to enter the world." With that final sentence, Norim picked up a long, slender blade, its delicate edge curved.

Eyeing the instrument, Inuyasha cursed again. "Never thought I'd just lay there and let somebody slice me open."

Fighting down his instincts, Sesshomaru agreed, or at least he agreed in the sense that he never would have thought he'd willingly stand by while another did such a thing to his mate. Growling low, the Prince of the West looked at the world through a crimson haze as he fought down his unwilling youkai.

"Sesshomaru." Head snapping to the side, Sesshomaru saw that his father had entered the room as well and vaguely wondered how he'd failed to notice his sire's arrival. Easily moving further into the room, Lord Inu no Taisho gave Inuyasha a careful smile before concentrating on his son, the Lord of the West's eyes narrowing as red began filtering into his own orbs. "Sesshomaru, this has all been discussed and agreed to. You know it is necessary to save both Inuyasha and your pup. One way or the other, Norim will be allowed to do this. The only question is if I must remove you from the room so that he may do what is necessary."

Growling low, Sesshomaru saw his father's words as a challenge, but it was the feel of Inuyasha's hand gripping his wrist, the sweet smell of his mate; that allowed him to restrain his angered youkai. Eyes closing, Sesshomaru forced his will upon his less tame side. Taking a deep and cleansing breath, the Prince of the West opened his golden eyes and stoically answered, "Such a thing will not be necessary. This Sesshomaru has sufficient control."

Coming up behind his son, Inu no Taisho's mood appeared instantly lightened as he bellowed a hearty, "Good to hear."

More at ease since the Lord of the West's arrival, Norim pulled out a thick length of leather, the look upon his face once more apologetic. "If it is any consequence, Inuyasha, I have also had to endure this once before."

Inuyasha dearly wanted to tell Norim that it didn't make a bit of difference, but then the hanyou remembered that the healer had only been able to bring one offspring to term, the other's passing long before they ever had a true chance in life and on the last occasion, almost taking Norim with them. Given that thought, Inuyasha focused not on the pain wracking his body, but concentrated on just what that pain meant. His pup, the new life he'd created with Sesshomaru, it was alive and ready to make its entry into the world. In that moment, the hanyou knew he would do anything to make sure his pup had the best start into that world.

Gritting his teeth as another contraction tore through his body, Inuyasha panted as the pain ebbed once more. "L-let's stop talkin' and get on with it."

"As you wish," Norim smiled before his lips thinned with concentration. With the thick, leather strap still in his hands, the healer ordered Inuyasha to open his mouth. "I'll need you to bite down on this so that you do not cause further damage to yourself."

Hand shaking only slightly, Inuyasha grabbed the chunk of leather and shoved it between his teeth before leaning back into the pillows gathered behind him.

With his patient in position, Norim began working Inuyasha's sleeping clothes up his body, exposing his tender abdomen. "Prince Sesshomaru, please have the energy transfer stone within easy reach. I believe that once the pup is removed, Inuyasha should have enough youkai to heal himself, but in case that is not correct, it is better to be prepared."

Quickly moving, Sesshomaru retrieved the stone, laying it upon a nearby table. "What else would you have me do?"

"You need only care for your mate, my prince. If I know you are taking care of Inuyasha, that will leave me free to work quickly to remove your waiting pup."

Instructions given and received, Sesshomaru perched his body upon the edge of the bed, completely turned away from what Norim was about to do, his golden eyes locked upon the intense amber orbs of his mate. Consciously easing his own features, the Prince of the West loosened his youkai, forcing his inner beast to emit nothing but soothing pulses of energy. The relaxation in Inuyasha's tense muscles was quickly his reward. Working his fingers into the hanyou's dampened hair, Sesshomaru's claws began gently massaging the base of Inuyasha's furry puppydog ears.

Enthralled by the rare show of tenderness from the icy Prince of the West, Kitanya stood, mouth slightly agape until she heard Norim speak her name. With her mouth snapping shut, the bear submissive turned big brown eyes at the healer, a choked, "Y-yes," somehow managing to escape her dry throat.

Another time, Norim would have found Kitanya's reaction humorous, but right now, he needed action and attention. "Make sure there are plenty of towels and warm water at the ready. When I begin the incision, I'll need you to pack the towels around Inuyasha's sides. When the pup is removed, I'll need to transfer it into your care until I'm certain Inuyasha is healing properly."

Nodding once, Kitanya grabbed a handful of towels; her attention now completely focused on what Norim was about to do. Pleased that all was at the ready, Norim gave a final look in Inu no Taisho's direction. Meeting the Lord of the West's eyes, Norim carefully watched as Inu no Taisho's gaze flicked in Sesshomaru's direction before coming back to meet Norim's intense stare, the barest of nods conveyed. It was all the reassurance the healer needed. The Lord of the West was here for one purpose and one purpose only – to make sure his son did not do anything foolish.

With everything in place, Norim reached for the blade he'd lifted earlier from his bag. Taking a deep and steading breath, the healer placed the edge on Inuyasha's bulging belly, a soft, "Here we go," echoing from his lips before crimson fluid began raining down on the surrounding towels.

:::::::::

Eyelids fluttering open, Inuyasha still felt exhaustion pulling him back toward sleep. But despite the lull of that sweet oblivion, the pull to remain awake was even more tempting. Warm and safe, Inuyasha was nestled on his back, Sesshomaru's body cradling his own while his mate's hands rubbed soothingly down his arms and sides. Tucked within his own arms, nestled deep within delicately furred blankets, laid their sleeping son.

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha openly ogled the beauty that was their pup. Voice soft, the hanyou's tone was near reverence. "He's full youkai? I . . . I thought . . . "

Careful not to shift even in the slightest, Sesshomaru moved his head so that his lips were beside a twitching puppydog ear. "Norim believes it has something to do with the energy transfers. It is unclear whether he is indeed full youkai or not, but whether he is or is not matters little to this Sesshomaru."

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Inuyasha was grateful for Sesshomaru's words, even though, by now, they were more expected than not. However, having grown up as a hanyou, he was more than a little relieved that his own son looked to be pureblooded. Lifting up a tired hand, Inuyasha ran the back of a claw over the pointed tip of a perfectly shaped youkai ear. "His stripes are different colored than yours, but he has that crescent moon thing on his forehead."

"The red coloration is more in keeping with Tsuyoshi."

Sucking in a sharp breath, Inuyasha's body went momentarily still. "My father's stripes were similar?"

"Yes. Both Inu no Taisho and Tsuyoshi's stripes were jagged, but whereas my father's are colored blue, my uncle's were deep red. It seems as if our son's are similar shape to my own, but he obtained the color from you."

Inuyasha wasn't entirely sure what to say to that, but did find his chest had become warmer with the thought that his son had inherited something from him. "And his eyes?" Inuyasha had yet to see his pup awake.

"I am pleased to say that their color is more similar to yours." Allowing a brief, low chuckle to escape, Sesshomaru added, "The monk seems to be relieved that our pup's eyes favor yours. Miroku thanked that troublesome Buddha that our son might have actually been gifted with a less frigid soul than my own."

Smile curving his lips; Inuyasha felt his own bubble of laughter shake his belly, the resulting flash of pain instantly halting his mirth as his laughter ebbed into a low grunt of pain. "Shit, guess it's gonna take a little longer to heal."

Increasing his gentle rubbing, Sesshomaru brought mokomoko up, easing the tips of his fur along Inuyasha's cheek. "Norim was pleased with how quickly your body's youkai energy returned, but it was quickly used up in sealing the wound he created to remove our son. The healer believes you should be back to normal within two, maybe three, days."

Sucking in a deep breath, Inuyasha regretted the movement but found he couldn't be too upset. "I guess that ain't too long."

"Even so, your body has been through a harsh ordeal. I expect you to rest and eat appropriately so that you might get back to your full strength as quickly as possible."

Inuyasha kind of wanted to argue, but given his current level of fatigue, he thought it might just be better to wait and see what the next few days brought before trying to push things. Grunting out a, "We'll see," Inuyasha's eyes widened as he watched his son yawn, tiny fangs already protruding from his gums. Seeing those sharp points, Inuyasha asked, "Do we know if he inherited your poison?"

"It is too early to be sure, but Shayou believes he might have. Do not ask me how the Lady of the West came to that decision for most of her thoughts are a mystery to this Sesshomaru."

Brows furrowed, Inuyasha was getting the impression that he'd been asleep far longer than he wished, otherwise, how in the hell hadn't he noticed all these youkai getting a peep at his son. "Your mother's already seen him? How long have I been out of it?"

"You have only been asleep for a little over seven hours and I imagine that amount is still too short of a time. As for the Lady of the West . . . she arrived shortly after our pup was born and it would have been pointless to keep her from seeing the newest heir of the Western Lands."

Moving his clawed finger up, Inuyasha let his fingers slip through the shock of silvery-white hair sitting atop his son's head, the texture much finer than his own. "Is she still here?"

Taking a moment, Sesshomaru allowed his senses to expand, easily noting the presence of the Lady of the West within the palace walls. "It appears so."

"Good. I wanna see her before she leaves."

For the life of him, Sesshomaru would never understand why his mate actually seemed to _like_ his mother, but he was fairly certain that, with the exception of his father, Inuyasha was the only other living creature who could claim that emotion. Having nothing to add, Sesshomaru kept his silence on the matter.

Mind drifting, Inuyasha didn't seem to notice, or at least care about, Sesshomaru's silence. Thinking of Sesshomaru's mother made the hanyou think of his own, and further down that thought process, the woman who'd been like a second mother to him, Kaede. "I know you don't like the human village I lived in, but I want old lady Kaede to meet him."

Sesshomaru never once paused in his movements, having long ago anticipated this desire, the InuYoukai answered, "As we speak, the monk is riding Ah-Un, Lady Sango and Kirara at his side, to fetch your miko. Norim graciously appointed one of the healer's under his tutelage to stand in for the miko while she is gone from the village so that she might visit. I shall leave the task of informing the wolf to you."

Head twisting, Inuyasha's amber orbs were large and glistening with tears he'd never shed. "T-that's . . . thank you."

Leaning forward, Sesshomaru pressed his lips to the slightly chapped one's of his mate. "As always, it is both my duty and pleasure to see to your happiness and needs."

Looking back down at his son, Inuyasha thought there was absolutely no way in the world that he could be any happier than he was at that moment. "Oh . . . okay. I think we got me covered there, so how about you?"

Bending down, Sesshomaru nuzzled deep into Inuyasha's neck, licking the mating mark he'd made almost two years ago. Breathing deeply, the InuYoukai felt his mate's scent filter down into the very depths of his soul, the ease of both Inuyasha's scent of youkai soothing and strengthening his own. With Inuyasha as his mate, Sesshomaru felt all the little holes in his being instantly filled and knew that, without a doubt, he was the more fortunate one between them. With that in mind, Sesshomaru knew he would spend the rest of his long life doing whatever he could to repay Inuyasha for the peace and fullness he brought into the Prince of the West's life.

Lifting his head up ever so slightly, Sesshomaru's warm breath ghosted across the furs of a puppydog ear. "There are no words for how you make me feel, but when you are healed and well, I shall have no qualms in repetitively showing you just how happy you make me."

Thickly swallowing, Inuyasha scented the spike in lust coming from his mate, the hanyou's cheeks tinting an enticing shade of pink. Whispering a quiet, "Pervert," Inuyasha shifted deeper into Sesshomaru's embrace, the hanyou's eyelids drooping until he could no longer fight the pull of his own body's needs and allowed the peace of slumber to claim him once more.

 _And that would be the end. Just so you all know, I suspicion Sesshomaru really is a pervert deep down. You know, it's always the quiet ones . . . :-)_

 _Thank you all for reading and sticking with this story. To all those that have reviewed, and to those of you that will be reviewing, from the bottom of my own perverted heart, I thank you. Your reviews make me laugh, smile, think, and well . . . they simply make my day most of the time. Although I love fan fiction and writing it, I don't know that there will be any more stories forthcoming. I don't really have anything in the pipe (so to speak) and I'm trying to write some original stuff. Since my writing time is limited, I don't get much done in any kind of timely manner. I doubt anything will come of the original stuff, but what the hell . . . we only live once and I've lived a fair portion of my life already. Time to get a move on. At the very least, writing supplements my therapy expenses (Ah . . . sadly, so true)._

 _And so, I shall leave this chapter as I have all the others, by wishing you all the very best. I hope you are all as happy and well as you possibly can be._

 _Thank you all so very much,_

 _lunamist_


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